The Legend of Gaia's Sennin
by The Engulfing Silence
Summary: Flung into a world of technology and fanatasy, bitter at the loss he suffered during the Fourth Great Shinobi War, can Uzumaki Naruto find happiness in Gaia?
1. A1 C1: A New Start

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Final Fantasy 7. This is the only time I'm going to say this, since people should know I don't own this story and I doubt anyone is going to skip the first chapter to read ahead.**

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><p><strong>The Legend of Gaia's Sennin<strong>

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 1: Enter the Sennin**

**Chapter 1: A New Start**

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><p>The first thing he felt upon becoming self-aware once again was pain. Excruciating pain. It felt like thousands of needles were being stuck and poked into his body, like his insides had been dunked in acid. Every muscle and fiber in his body screamed at him, letting him know just how close to death he had come. And to be honest, he wondered why he wasn't dead.<p>

He had never been more thankful for his regenerative-healing factor, which was already kicking in. It hurt, by Kami it hurt. The feeling of your shredded muscles and broken bones being mended was intensely painful, though not as bad as the pain he had felt when his awareness had first kicked in.

As the pain began to fade into the background he began to feel other sensations. The feel of a soft bed beneath his frame, the pillows his head was laying against. The scent of the room, a mixture of feminine scents that pervaded his nostrils and soothed his mind and soul. The scent was of Lavender and reminded him of Hinata, the sweet yet somewhat weird girl who had always stalked him. The one who had a crush on him, but never went further then that.

His mind soon became more alert, sharpening as he decided to take stalk of his situation. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, not wanting to let whoever was near know he had awoken. First he ran a swift analysis of his body. He could already feel that his regenerative-healing factor had taken care of his mended bones and muscles, and was working on the little, less dangerous cuts. More to the point, his cuts and bruises had been bandaged, he couldn't determine the type of cloth used to do the bandaging, but he could feel them wrapped around his torso, which had taken the most damage.

Between the bed and the bandages Naruto could easily deduce that he wasn't in enemy territory. However, that still told him very little, and just because he wasn't near any enemies didn't mean he was safe.

Where was he? How did he get there? Was he in friendly territory? Or neutral territory? These questions that he would need to find answers to.

Wanting to know a little more about the area around him, while still maintaining some secrecy, he sent a small pulse of chakra out of his body. The chakra acted like a sonar, by constantly pushing a set amount of chakra out of his body at a constant rate, while still keeping himself connected to it, he could 'feel' for lack of a better word, the things around him.

The room he was in was small, around ten to fifteen square feet if he had to guess, it was hard to judge with this jutsu. It was still larger then the bedroom in his old apartment had been. Around the room were various objects that he recognized by the feel of their shape where he could not feel his chakra. A desk and chair on one side, a closet, a dresser and a door on the far side. There was a window opposite of him. Along with those were smaller objects like clothes that he could feel were hung up on a hook on the door.

There was no one in the room at the moment, and so he decided to open his eyes. The first thing that greeted him was a pink ceiling with an odd checker design. _That looks like something Sakura-chan __would have in her room,_ he thought absently. He wondered if this was her room. But then he shook his head as he realized it couldn't be. Not after...

Shaking his head he banished the thoughts before they could form, before they could bring him to tears. He couldn't afford to lose himself to sorrow right now, he wouldn't cry.

Sitting up, he took a look around the rest of the room. Like the ceiling the walls were also done in pink. The place held a look that screamed feminine, from the walls and ceiling to the frilly curtains, everything let him know that this was a girls room.

That was in itself confusing to him. Judging from the bright, feminine charm of the room it was obvious that he was not a captive. Unless the person holding him hostage was either trying to throw him off, or just happened to be into really girly decorations. Whatever the case may be, it didn't help him solve the many questions on his mind now.

Where was he? How did he get here? More importantly, what happened to the Teme and Maradara?

Grunting he stood up. For a moment he swayed, almost falling over as a sense of vertigo and nausea swept through him. It was obvious that he had been more injured then he thought. He had never felt this bad before after getting healed. For a moment he wondered how long he had been recuperating before shrugging the thought off as unimportant.

He walked over to the window, his movements were sluggish and he realized that while his body may have repaired itself from whatever damage it took, the fact that his muscles had basically been regenerated meant they were still trying to get in some semblance of working order.

He sighed, that meant he wouldn't be fighting for a while.

Just as these thoughts came the door began to creak open and a female voice shouted. "I'm just going to check on him, mom!"

He tensed as several thoughts on what he should do ran through his mind. His first instinct was to jump and use his chakra to cling to the ceiling, get behind whoever was coming in, knock them out, tie them up and interrogate them on where he was and how he got there. His second thought was to just kill whoever was coming in, he grimaced at that one as it had been an instinct bred into him through the fires of war and not something he would have thought of several years ago. His third decision was to do nothing. So far no one had made any hostile actions towards him, he had been placed in a nice, albeit girly bed, someone had been taking care of him, obvious from the signs of bandages that were wrapped around his frame and the place didn't hold a hostile or even remotely dangerous look.

All of these thoughts and ideas passed through his head in less then a second, the door had yet to even open halfway before he had come to a decision. Whoever had taken him in obviously held no ill intent, even without using his Rikudou form he had enough experience to sense when someone had the intent to harm him. So he decided not to do anything, yet, and see what happened from there.

The door finished opening as his decision embedded itself in his mind. A young woman walked into the room. She looked to be around his age, in her late teens to early twenties. She was wearing a shin-length pink dress that buttoned up at the front with a red bolero jacket. She had a pair of brown boots on, and metal bracers on her wrists and around the edges of her jacket sleeves. Her hair was drawn back in a thick plait with a large pink ribbon tied around it; within the ribbon he noticed she had a white orb that seemed to shine with a repressed light and energy that he could feel even without entering Sennin-mode. Her bangs were segmented and framed her face on the sides, and she had emerald green eyes.

All in all he thought she was rather beautiful. Her clothing didn't do much to hide her lithe, feminine frame. She wasn't wearing any make-up, nor did she seem to have any need for them. She wasn't one of those beauties that Ero-Sennin had always enjoyed when going to those sleazy pubs the man had often taken him to. She held a more down to earth kind of beauty. If he had to come up with a word for it, he would say she was more 'real' then those other girls.

Real, but no less beautiful.

As she came in fully he noticed she was carrying a set of male clothes, at least they looked like male clothes judging from the duller colors when compared to the clothing she was wearing. It was at this that he noticed he was more or less naked, with only a pair of orange and black boxers covering his frame.

There eyes met and for a single second they both stared at each other. He saw the girl's eyes widen, and her mouth opened in a slight 'o' of surprise. Her eyes seemed to go over his form for a moment before her cheeks reddened.

"Uh... yo," he said, not really sure what to do in this situation. He had long since lost his modesty, along with many other moral scruples, but even to him this was awkward.

The girl let out a loud 'eep!' and quickly rushed back out of the door and slammed it closed with a loud bang. "I'm sorry!" she called out, embarrassment permeating her voice. "I hadn't realized you were awake."

He chuckled at the girls embarrassment, finding it somehow refreshing. "It's alright, I probably should have stayed in bed anyways. Um, do you think you could hand me some clothes?"

"Oh!" the door the opened just enough for her to stick her hand, with his clothes in them, through the door. "Here you are... uh... when you get dressed, why don't you come downstairs into the living room?" she suggested.

"Sure," He agreed. It wasn't like he had much of a choice, he didn't know where he was, or how he got there. The simple fact was, this girl was currently his only source of information.

He grabbed his clothes and the girl closed the door. "I'll be down in just a second." The sound of feet padding against wood tiling let him know she had headed downstairs. Looking at the set of clothes she had given him he repressed a sigh. They weren't what he would have liked, but given that he had no clue what happened to his old set he began putting them on.

"Man, there's not even a single scrap of orange on these things."

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>Aerith Gainsborough leaned against the door as soon as she closed it. She could feel her heart racing in her chest, beating nearly two-thousand miles a minute as shock and embarrassment fought for attention.<p>

She had been going to check up on the unconscious blond, who apparently was not as out of it as he had seemed. To say she had been surprised by seeing a man that had been half-dead the other day not only wide awake but capable of standing would be an understatement. She had found him quite literally on the verge of death just yesterday, and yet here he was, standing and from the looks of it well on his way to recovery from what should have been fatal wounds. It was rather astounding and Aerith couldn't help but wonder how he healed so fast.

Perhaps it had something to do with feeling he gave off? The planet didn't recognize him but for some reason it liked how he felt. The man seemed to be more in tune with his surroundings then other people.

Shaking her head she realized that she was still standing outside the door to where he was and remembered that the man was awake and she had just walked in on his half naked form. "I'm sorry!" she called out, feeling the need to apologize for so rudely coming into the room, even it was her room to begin with. "I hadn't realized you were awake."

"It's alright, I probably should have stayed in bed anyways. Um, do you think you could hand me some clothes?"

"Oh!" Now she felt really embarrassed. She had been going to bring these up, just in case he ever woke up she wanted him to have something to change into. She had been so surprised by him already being up and about that she nearly forgot she had them. She opened the door just a crack and stuck the clothing she had gotten for him through the door. "Here you are... uh... when you get dressed, why don't you come downstairs into the living room?"

"Sure," he said, and she felt him grab the clothes. "I'll be down in a second."

Aerith withdrew her hand and shut the door. Still feeling embarrassed by the situation she had just been put in, she left without another word.

She entered the living room, which also served as a kitchen and found her mom already cooking dinner. "Mom," she said, getting the attention of the kind woman. "That man is awake. He should be down in a few seconds."

"Already?" the woman asked in clear surprise. Not that Aerith could blame her, when she had brought the blond in he had been on death's doorstep. To be honest, she had not even been sure if he would live out the night, even with her mom bandaging his wounds as best she could.

"Yeah, I know, it surprised me too," Aerith continued, shaking her head. She was almost sure her face still held a wide eyed look. "I didn't expect him to wake up so soon, especially with how injured he was. The planet doesn't seem to know him either." Elmyra just shook her head at her daughters strange last sentence, she had grown used to the girls eccentricities by now.

"Why don't you begin setting the table, dinner will be read soon and I'm sure that young man will be hungry."

"Ok."

Aerith went over to one of the cupboards and got out several sets of table wear and some napkins. They weren't the finest china dishes around, the plates were scratched and used and the forks and knives were dinged, but considering where they lived it was better then nothing.

It was only a few minutes after Aerith finished setting the table that the young blond man walked down the stairs. Once again she found herself looking at him. The man was tall, he looked to be somewhere around one-hundred and eighty two centimeters, he was at least a head and a half taller then she was. His form was not big, but even now, when he was wearing the plain brown shirt and pants she had given him, Aerith could see the muscles straining against the fabric of the shirt. They were kind of muscles that were gained from use, rather then working out in a gym.

If she had to come up with a word for his physical conditioning, she would have to say he looked streamlined.

His hair was a bright, almost golden yellow. To her it seemed as if his hair absorbed and reflected sunlight it was so bright. It stuck up in messy spikes with a fringe that hovered just above his eyes and a pair of jaw length bangs that framed his face. She had never seen hair like his before and a part of her didn't deny that she was curious what it would feel like to run her hands through it.

His face, like his body looked like it had been chiseled from stone. It was angular and held a mature quality, while still retaining it's youthfulness. One of the oddities she noticed on him were the three whisker-like markings that lined each cheek in a horizontal pattern. Aerith thought they made him look like a fox.

However, it was his eyes that drew in the most attention. A set of pure blue orbs that were so deep she almost thought they could look into her soul. They seemed to glow with a vibrancy, light and power that she had only seen once.

They were just like _his_.

Her thoughts were interrupted when her mother noticed him as well and gave him a smile. "Why don't you sit down while Aerith and I set down the food?" she suggested.

The blond blinked for a moment, tilting his head a little as his face adopted a look of curiosity. The look was so utterly adorable that for a split second Aerith had the largest urge to squeal and was forced to fight it down, lest she embarrass herself in front of him further.

After a few seconds the blond smiled before walking into the kitchen where Elmyra was. "Since you and your daughter have been kind enough to let me into your house and take care of me, why don't I take care of getting food on the table?"

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>It took a bit of convincing before Elmyra let the blond bring out the food, claiming he was a guest in her house and was still healing. However, Aerith noticed that the blond man was extremely stubborn and apparently wouldn't take no for an answer. After the two politely argued over who would bring out the food, Aerith decided she had enough of their squabbling and told them to both do it.<p>

The two had actually looked mildly embarrassed after that and silently agreed to do as Aerith said. Once the food was on the table, and everyone was seated Elmyra decided introductions were in order. "I know you met my daughter, Aerith just a little while ago. My name is Elmyra."

The blond looked up from the bite of soup he had been about to take. "Naruto Uzumaki," he said. "Thank you for taking care of me while I was... incapacitated." He frowned for a moment as a thought occurred to him. "Speaking of, can you tell me just how you found me?"

"Oh, I didn't find you," Elmyra replied, getting a surprised look from Naruto. "My daughter did."

"You actually fell out of the sky and nearly landed on top of me," Aerith said. "You were nearly dead and I had to drag you back home, where mom patched you up."

Naruto looked at her and smiled. "I guess I owe you my life, then. Thank you."

Aerith actually felt her face heating up and she looked away from Naruto's smile. "I-It's no problem, though I was worried you were dead when you first showed up."

"You were in pretty bad shape," Elmyra nodded her head in agreement with her daughter. "When she and a few of the other people around here brought you to me, you were in terrible shape. I don't think I've ever seen someone with so much damage done to them. It looked like you had been in a terrible fight."

"I was," Naruto said, grimacing as he remembered what he had done to get into such condition. "To be honest, I'm surprised I survived." Though that did beg the question... "how did I get here? And uh... where is here?"

"I don't know exactly how you got here. As I said, you more or less fell on top of me." Aerith paused for a moment. "However I can tell you that you are in the Sector Five slums of Midgar."

Naruto blinked. "Sector Five? Midgar?"

The sound of confusion in Naruto's voice and the befuddled look on his face made the two women look at each other. Somehow, they realized it was going to take a long night of explaining to sort things out with the young man.

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>Naruto remained silent and still as he sat on the roof of Elmyra's home. The place was surprisingly peaceful, with a waterfall on one side and a patch of land that was connected by a small plank behind him. The land on the other side of the plank held small rings of flowers with a mound of grass in the center of it.<p>

Yet even with the peacefulness this place held, Naruto found his mind in turmoil. After his initial confusion had ended, Aerith and her mother had decided to help explain where he was.

Midgar was the capital of the world, a planet that Aerith called Gaia. It was the most technologically advanced construction that had ever been built on the planet. Built by the Shinra Electric Power Company, Midgar was home to the corporation's main headquarters, which dominated the city skyline. Due to it's massive population, Midgar required a lot of energy to run. Thanks to its eight Mako Reactors, the city's massive power demands were easily met.

From what Naruto had learned Aerith's words, Midgar was a large circular structure divided up between two main layers: the paradise above the plate, and the miserable slums below. The city itself is "floating" above the ground, supported by massive pillars in each sector. Above the plate live the richest and most powerful men in the world who run most of its affairs.

Aerith and her mom lived in the Slums. Unlike the metropolitan top, the slums were home to bitter poverty. Due to the "pizza" plate hundreds of feet above their head, the people of the slums could go their entire lives without ever once seeing the sky. While the top was designed with cobble-stone paths and fine architecture, the slums represented the severe desperation of its population with buildings ranging from permanent structures like houses and cottages, to crude edifices such as mobile-homes and huts. The homeless have to make do with whatever shelter they can find.

When Naruto had been given a general rundown of the place, he couldn't help but be appalled by what he had heard. It was sickening to think that some conglomerate company would force people to live in such abject poverty. In many ways the situation here reminded him of what he had seen in Nami No Kuni when it was under the rule of Gato. He could even picture some fat midget running things up top.

Sitting behind his desk at Shinra Headquarters, President Shinra let out loud sneeze.

Once they had gone over the initial explanation of the world, Naruto had been forced to ask them questions that expounded on what they had told him. He had learned about Mako, the power that Shinra used to power Midgar, the Mako Reactors that sucked the energy out of the earth and refined it into a useable energy source. He had even been given the general history of what had happened in Gaia for the last several decades. After everything he had been told, Naruto had come to one conclusion.

He was no longer in the elemental nations. Whatever had happened to him during his battle against Madara Uchiha, or Tobi, or whatever the hell he wanted to call himself and Sasuke-Teme, the world he had known, grown up in, lived for, and was willing to die for was gone, at least for him.

It was a hard and bitter pill to swallow, especially when he had no clue how he had gotten to this new world. Was it a different world entirely? Had he been thrown through time by Madara's space-time ninjutsu? Was he in some kind of alternate dimension like the kind he would find in one of those crazy manga's that he liked to read when he was younger?

He didn't have an answer to any of these questions, and there were so many more questions, questions which he might never get the answers to.

"Are you going to just stand back there all night?" Naruto asked, not even looking over his shoulder as Aerith lightly squeaked at being caught so easily. The blond shinobi scooted himself over a bit and patted the seat next to him. "If your going to be out here at least sit down."

Aerith hesitated for only a moment before taking a seat next to him. As she sat down the young woman couldn't help but eye the blond man before her. "You really don't know anything about this place, do you?"

A mirthless smile crossed his face. "No, I don't. Aside from what you told me."

"Are you sure you don't have amnesia or something?"

Naruto chuckled. "Positive. If I had amnesia I would have just forgotten everything, but I have memories of where I was born, and the things I did for last seventeen years of my life."

"It could have been a dream," Aerith suggested, though it was obvious from her tone that she didn't quite believe her own words. Of course, it was equally obvious that she didn't believe he was from another world, or thrown into the future. Unfortunately, those were the only two viable options available.

"It could have," Naruto admitted, the tone in his voice saying he didn't believe her either. "And yet, I know it wasn't. Aside from the fact that the memories are far to clear to be a dream, I still have many of my abilities that I learned from that dream." He wasn't quite sure if that was true, but he still had control over his chakra, he could feel it in his coils though it did feel a tad different. It was more... pure, he supposed was the word.

"I guess your right," Aerith said after a few seconds of thought. She looked out at the sprawling part of the Slums before her and sighed. "And here I was hoping you would be in Soldier..."

Soldier. It was the name given to the most elite fighting unit within Shinra. From Aerith's information, Soldier's were humans that had been infused with Mako in order to increase their physical prowess to extreme levels. From what Naruto had been told, he assumed Mako acted like a stimulant or drug that empowered the person who was injected with it.

"What makes you think I would be in soldier?" he asked with some amusement.

"Your eyes," Aerith said. "They have the same glow that members of soldier have, or at least they look very similar. They don't have the green tint I'm used to, but they glow with the same repressed power."

"Well, I've never been injected with mako," Naruto said. "The power I possess is all my own. Something I earned through blood, sweat and training."

"Oh..."

A comfortable silence settled over to two of them for a few moments, before Aerith spoke up again. "So your really not from this world?"

"That would be my guess," Naruto sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. "Though how I got here is still up for debate." His shoulders sagged a little, without knowing how he came to be here, there was no way he could go back home. Even with all his skill in space-time manipulation there was very little chance of him finding a way back to the Elemental Nations. After all, it was hard to fix a problem if you didn't know what caused it in the first place.

Aerith seemed to sense his inner turmoil because she placed a hand on his back and rubbed it reassuringly. "I'm sorry, it must be hard for you. Not knowing whether you'll ever be able to see your friends again." She wished she could help him in some way, it had never been in her nature to leave someone alone when they needed help. However, she had no clue what to do in a situation like this. Indeed, she had never even heard of someone getting thrown into another world entirely.

"Well, that's at least not something I'll have to worry about," Naruto muttered, mostly to himself though Aerith still heard it. "All my friends are dead."

"Oh Gaia! I'm so sorry," Aerith apologized, feeling terrible for bringing up the death of his friends. "Had I known that I wouldn't have – "

"It's fine," Naruto interrupted the girl before she could go any further. "It happened a few years ago, so I've long since gotten used to it." Numb to it was a better expression, but he didn't want to let some random girl, no matter how nice, into his heart so easily. Not after all he had suffered through.

"Maybe it's a good thing you came here then," said Aeirth, trying to look at the positive side of things. When Naruto looked at her she smiled. "I mean, now that your in a new place it means you can start over, start from scratch. You know?"

Naruto didn't honestly think he could ever truly start over. The memories of his long dead friends would always leave a gaping hole in his heart that could never be filled. The faces of the men he had killed for the sake of peace would forever haunt his dreams. And no matter how hard he tried to forget, he knew that the betrayal of the man he had considered a brother would continue to leave a bitter taste in his mouth.

Still, maybe he could do something in this new world. Affect some kind of positive change. Naruto had never been one to just give up, and he knew that his friends would never forgive him if he did. They had sacrificed their lives so that he could live, and giving in would be a betrayal of their memories.

He wasn't sure what he could do just yet, but he knew that it would likely have something to with fighting. Really, it was the only thing he was good at. He may not have been the best ninja right after graduation, but the years after, during his time as a genin he had begun to grow by leaps and bounds. And during the war, when he had decided to get involved, Naruto had been the single most powerful entity during the conflict on the alliance side.

_'Maybe I would make a good mercenary,'_ he mused. In the Elemental Nations mercenary's had been rare. Not only did they have to compete with the Hidden Villages, but they were also forced to contend with missing ninja and wandering Samurai. Because of that most mercenary's never made it far in the Elemental Nations, though he had heard they thrived in the Western lands.

He gave Aerith a small smile. "Maybe your right. I've got some pretty useful skills, I'm sure I can find something to do in this world."

"That's the spirit!" Aerith cheered. Standing up she grabbed his hand and helped him up to. "Now come on, we need to get some sleep. Tomorrow, I'll show you around Sector Five."

Naruto followed the suddenly happy and excited girl inside. As he did he couldn't help but wonder what this new world had in store for him.

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>It was early the next morning that Naruto woke up. Truth be told it was kind of hard to tell since there was no sky for him to determine the time, but having long since kept to a strict schedule and having not needed much sleep as he got older, the blond shinobi's internal clock always woke him up around 0400.<p>

Getting out of the bed Elmyra had given him, Naruto got dressed and made his way downstairs. He noticed that no one was awake yet, and decided that now would be a good time to find a place where he could see whether or not he still had his abilities despite being in another world.

Naruto made his way outside, and after a bit of thinking, walked over to the area that had the large ring of flowers. He moved to the back, where a large cliff wall stopped anyone from going further. Anyone other than Naruto that is. Channeling chakra to the bottom of his feet, the blond shinobi placed one foot on the solid surface, then the other. Once he was sure he would not fall he began moving up the surface of the cliff.

_So I still have my chakra control abilities,_ Naruto thought to himself. And if he could walk on walls then he could walk on water as well.

When he got to the top he took a moment to look around. It was just a large plane of dirt and sediment, which was perfect for his purpose.

Holding out his hand, Naruto channeled chakra into it, focusing on moving his energy in multiple circles centered around an nexus, rotation was the key.

Once that was accomplished and the spinning energy within his hand could be seen as thousands of visible white streaks of energy, he began adding more power to it. This was the second step after rotation, and as he began pumping more and more chakra into the ball in his hand, it began to take on a blue sheen. It still wasn't complete, as evidenced by the fact that several whisps of chakra could be seen pouring off the ball, but that was what the last step was for.

Focusing on the last step to complete his technique, the blond began to compress the energy of the ball further, using his control to contain the energy inside of a small ball just a little larger then his hand. Not even a second later the wisps died down, the technique was complete.

Naruto smiled as he held a perfect baseball sized rasengan in his hand. While certainly not his most powerful jutsu, not even by a long shot, it was still his go-to technique when he needed that extra humph to go with his taijutsu. It was one the most useful skills in his arsenal.

Dissipating the shape manipulation technique, Naruto made a cross seal with his hands and muttered, "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu." There was a cloud of smoke, and when it cleared Naruto saw a perfect copy of himself standing there. The blond nodded in satisfaction and was just about to dispel the clone when he noticed something different.

He could see from two different perspectives. He saw himself staring at his clone, and his clone staring at himself. It was a weird phenomena and after a second of having realized what he was seeing, Naruto was forced to dispel the clone due to the headache seeing from two different perspectives was causing him.

Frowning the blond sat down for a moment as he tried to figure out what this meant. The Kage Bunshin No Jutsu was a clone technique in which the users chakra was evenly distributed among every clone, giving each clone an equal fraction of the user's overall power. The clones are capable of performing techniques on their own and can even bleed, but would usually disperse after one or two solid blows. They can also disperse on their own. The clones would be created in roughly the same condition as the original.

One of the characteristics that was unique to the Shadow Clone Technique was that any experience the clones gain during their existence is transferred to the user once they are dispersed. This made the technique ideal for spying, since the user can simply send a clone to spy on a target, then have the clone disperse itself without returning to pass the information back to the user. Any extra chakra the clone had when it dispersed was also returned to the original.

It was also useful for training purposes, since the total amount of experience the user gains is multiplied by the total number of clones being used to train. For example, if a user created one shadow clone and trained together with this clone for one hour, then dispeled the clone, the user would gain two hours of training in one hour by adding the hours of clone and the user together. While the technique can be extremely beneficial, attempting to use multiple clones for training purposes can be mentally harmful to the user, as not only is all the experience collected by the user, but so is all the mental stress from training each clone.

Naruto had used this method of training many times in the past. During the war, when the alliance was in a stalemate with Madara, the blond shinobi who had already earned a fearsome reputation thanks to his new-found control of the Kyuubi at that time, had periodically traveled to Mount Myoboku for several months at a time and used the Mass Kage Bunshin training method to speed up his progress, using nearly one-thousand clones to train in jutsu, advanced chakra control for medical jutsu, ninjutsu, fuiinjutsu and even some genjutsu. Essentially getting nearly one hundred years worth of experience, knowledge and jutsu down in just under two years.

In all the times he had used it, Naruto had never connected with a clone like he had done with the one he just made. The ability actually reminded him of Pain's – and later on Madara's – paths, which allowed for overlapping site in the same way.

_'I'm going to need to test this ability later on,' _Naruto decided. He would begin the process of acclimating himself the clones overlapping field of vision, adding another clone each time he grew used to the extra set of eyes.

The next process Naruto decided to try was to see if he could use any of his elemental jutsu. He didn't want to freak out Aerith and Elmyra by shooting out a large fire dragon or something equally destructive, so he decided to go with something small. "Katon: Kaijin No Jutsu." he sucked in a shallow breath and blew out a small stream of fire.

Or at least he tried to.

Naruto frowned as he got nothing, not even a puff of smoke for his efforts. Deciding to see if it was a fluke, Naruto tried again, this time with hand seals.

Still nothing.

Growling Naruto began to attempt more jutsu only to fail. Lightning, water, wind, fire, earth, none of them worked. In his frustration he attempted to use the sub elements, something he had accomplished after talking with Mei and a few other gekkei kenkei users when he had come up with the theory that anyone could use sub elements, but bloodline's made them more indisposed to them and gave them special attacks that couldn't be used by anyone else.

When he still got nothing Naruto growled in anger before taking a deep breath and trying to sort out what the problem was. Sitting down in a cross-legged position the blond shinobi closed his eyes and entered a meditative state. During his Sennin training with Fukusaku-Sama and Shima-Sama, Naruto had learned more then just the arts of the Gama-Sennin. He had also learned how to get in touch with his chakra, to truly feel it as it flowed through his body.

Naruto let his subconscious move through his body, sensing out his chakra pathways. A frown marred his face as his senses told him something was different with his chakra.

Chakra was essential to even the most basic technique; it was the molding of the physical energy present in every cell of the body and the spiritual energy gained from exercise and experience. Once molded, it could be channeled through the chakra circulatory system, which is to chakra as the regular circulatory system is to blood, to any of the 361 chakra points (called tenketsu) in the body. Through various methods, the most common of which is hand seals, the chakra can then be manipulated to create an effect that would not be possible otherwise, such as walking on water, exhaling fire or creating illusions.

Tenketsu are simply nodes from which chakra can be released. There were 361 tenketsu in the body, each one a checkpoint on the Chakra Pathway System. Though ninja use chakra regularly, very few ninja possess any great control over their tenketsu. Even jōnin are only capable of releasing a small amount of chakra through their hands or feet to increase the power of punches, jumps, or kicks.

Chakra Pathway System was the term for the channels within the body that transfer and channel chakra. Simply put they served the same function for chakra as _blood vessels_ do for blood. Along the chakra pathways, there 361 nodes called tenketsu that control the flow of chakra like circuit breakers, and within those tenketsu are Eight Gates which control body function and strain levels.

The Eight Gates are eight specific points on a person's Chakra Pathway System. They limit the overall flow of chakra within a person's body. The basis for the idea of the chakra gates comes from the body's limits on the functions within it. This makes the body much weaker, but it keeps the body from expiring too soon. By undergoing intense training, one can learn how to open these gates allowing the user to surpass their own physical limits at the cost of extreme damage to their own bodies.

The Eight Inner Gates were near the start of the chakra system, which was roughly located near a persons center of gravity. Most people never got a feel for the 'core' of their chakra, the place where their power came from. While the Hyuuga did, thanks in no small part to their Byakugan, only those who trained extensively in feeling chakra or sensors had any luck in seeing their core.

Naruto, through training had gained that capability. It had been thanks to his ability to see his chakra core that led him to discovering the ability to manipulate the sub elements. By becoming so intimate with his chakra's core he had gained phenomenal control over his vast reserves of chakra and was able to sense what type of element he was changing his chakra nature too. This had allowed him to manipulate his own core and chakra nature until he became capable of combining two different chakra natures into one, thus creating the sub elements.

Now however, Naruto could not feel his core anymore. He still had chakra, could still feel it flowing through his body. But his chakra core and the Eigth Gates were gone.

It took a great will of effort not to panic at this revelation. Keeping his focus, Naruto dove himself even deeper into his chakra network. After several minutes of feeling its flow, he noticed something that his initial scans had not.

His chakra was not flowing out from his core. It should have been obvious, given that his core seemed to have disappeared. Wanting to see where his chakra was now coming from, he followed the flow through his bodies network and discovered, much to his surprise, that his chakra was flowing out from his left arm.

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at his arm, still keeping his concentration on his chakra the blond noticed the small bright glow coming from inside of his forearm. He let his fingers run over the glowing ball and blinked in surprise when his fingers moved through his skin. Frowning, Naruto repeated this process several times before sticking his fingers all the way into his arm.

It was an odd experience, both watching what was happening and what he was feeling. His eyes could literally see his hand inside of his arm, a black form against the now white and semi-translucent forearm. He could see it clutching the odd glowing ball, and could feel it as a small tingle in his arm. On instinct, Naruto pulled the small orb out and studied it.

The orb looked like some kind of round gem, reminding him of the bauble Aerith had in her hair. It was a stormy gray color and glowed with an inner light. He was unsure just what the gem was, but he could easily tell that whatever it was, it was the object that allowed him to use his chakra abilities.

With a sigh Naruto placed the orb back into his arm and stood up. He was unsure how much time had past but it was likely around two or three hours. Aerith was probably waking up by now and would not doubt wonder where he was. He decided it would probably be a good idea to head back now, and return to do more tests later.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>Aerith woke up with a light lawn. Sitting up in her bed she stretched her hands above her head and her legs out as far as they would go. Looking over at her clock she saw that it was 0800, around the time she usually got up. Getting out from under the covers she stood up and made her way out of her room.<p>

Her first destination was the restroom. It was a very simple and basic room, with a small sink, toilet and single shower. It wasn't very large, but considering where they lived it was better than what most people had.

She turned on the water and quickly stripped herself of her pink nighty, then slid out of her panties. Stepping into the water Aerith ignored how cold it was, having grown used to it through out the years. The Slums weren't given any of the energy the Mako Reactors brought to Midgar, and so those few who had appliances like heaters, stoves and other objects that required power had to find an alternate means. Unfortunately those means were expensive and her mother had only been able to afford two heaters for the appliance downstairs and the fans that kept the house cool.

As Aerith scrubbed herself down with a bar of soap, her thoughts turned to the young man who had fallen into her lap quite literally. This was the second time it happened and she couldn't help but wonder if perhaps this was the way she was destined to meet all the men she knew. The thought made her giggle a little, even though it brought an equal amount of sadness as it did happiness.

Maybe it was because she was in the shower, or perhaps it was just a bi-product of thinking about men, but her thoughts quickly turned to the first time she had seen Naruto awake. More specifically how she had seen him almost nude.

She banished the blush as it made its way across her face. While she had never really had any experience with men, having only had one boyfriend, she had never been a shy girl. Nor was she naive. Aerith had been too some of the other sectors and even been top-side, so she had seen some of the less... scrupulous forms of entertainment that Midgar had to offer, though she hadn't gotten quite as up close as she had seen Naruto.

Shaking her head – and flinging water off her hair in the process – Aerith quickly shut down all thoughts on men and half naked men and decided to instead focus on cleaning herself. Once done with her shower she turned off the water and stepped out. Grabbing two towels, one to dry her hair and the other to dry her body, Aerith proceeded to do just that. She wrapped the towel she used to dry off her body around herself and the one for her hair was likewise used in a similar respect.

She opened the door to the room and looked out. Seeing no sign of Naruto, she assumed he was still asleep and made her way back to her room. It didn't take long for her to get dressed in her usual outfit, though brushing and plating her hair was a bit of a hassle. Once she determined that she was all set and ready to go, Aerith made her way out of her bedroom and over to Naruto's room.

Opening the door she said, "good morning, Naruto. I thought I would – huh?" blinking several times it took a moment to realize that Naruto was not in the room. Even the bed was made. "I hope he didn't leave," she muttered worriedly, closing the door. "I told him I was going to show him around today."

Thankfully she found Naruto had not left, and was in fact working the stove while a slightly disgruntled Elmyra watched on from the table. "Good morning Naruto! Mom!" Aerith greeted in a friendly, if somewhat curious voice. "Naruto, what are you doing?"

"What's it look like I'm doing? I'm making breakfast," the blond shinobi replied as he expertly flipped whatever it was he was making, then put the pan back on the stove and went over to a juicer where he squeezed some of the oranges she had managed to grow.

Slightly confused Aerith looked over at her mother who noticed her gaze. The woman shrugged helplessly, "I was making breakfast when he came in and insisted that he do it as a way of thanking me."

"She tried to argue but I'm a lot more stubborn then she is," Naruto commented as he came out of the kitchen. Aerith couldn't help but admire the blonds sense of balance as he carried a large plate of toast that looked like it had been dipped in caramel, three glasses and the pitcher of orange juice... with the pitcher being balanced atop of his head. Setting down the toast and the glasses he poured some orange juice into the glasses and passed one each to Elmyra and Aerith. Then he used a fork and dished them both up with two pieces of the toast.

Now that Aerith could see it more closely she noticed that it was a lot different then normal toast. In fact, it looked nothing like toast with the soul exception of that it was made from bread. It looked like it had been dipped into some kind of batter and then cooked. As Aerith looked at it curiously, Naruto sat down. "It's been a little while sense I cooked but let me know what you think."

"What is it?" asked Aerith, picking at it with her fork. It certainly smelled good, but she didn't know what it was, and therefore not sure whether or not to eat it.

"It's called French Toast," Naruto said. "I have no clue why it's named that, but back where I come from this is one of many kinds of breakfast meals we have. It's made by dipping bread in eggs mixed with milk, butter, sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, then cooked over an open stove until set."

Aerith still wasn't sure what it was, but given what it was made from it sounded good. It would also be rude if she didn't try some. Taking a piece off with her knife and sticking it with her fork, the brunette woman brought a piece of it to her mouth.

"Mmmm!" Aerith's eyes widened as she chewed on the piece. Swallowing she looked over at Naruto, eyes still wide. "It's really good! I mean, really, really good!"

"I have to agree with Aerith," Elmyra commented after she finished swallowing her own bite. She offered the blond a smile of approval. "Would you mind giving me the recipe?"

"Not at all," Naruto said with a pleasant smile, it was good to be appreciated for something other then his ability to kill. His friends, what friends he had that hadn't died during the war, had loved his cooking. He remembered Chouji had proclaimed him a cooking god and said that if he ever decided to give up his dream of being Hokage he could open up a restaurant. "I'll write the recipe down after cleaning up the dishes."

"Oh, don't worry about that," Elmyra said. "You made us breakfast so let me do the dishes." Naruto opened his mouth to speak, but the motherly woman gave him 'the look', the one that all woman give to their sons, brothers, uncles, fathers, grandfathers, significant others or just any male period that warned them they were crossing a line that should never be crossed. Thankfully, Naruto was not as ignorant about woman as he used to be.

"If you insist," he said, his voice slightly fearful.

Elmyra just smiled. "I do."

Naruto sighed in relief as he felt the odd non-killing killing intent leave. He perked up after a few seconds and turned to Aerith who was surprisingly on her fourth piece of French Toast. "Hey Aerith, I was wondering..." when the young woman looked at him he pointed to her hair. "What is that gem in your hair."

Aerith finished swallowing her last bite and set down her fork. "You mean this?" her hand went to the white orb in her hair.

"Yes."

"This is my materia..." she noticed the blank look on his face and realized he likely had no clue what materia was. "Materia are special that can be equipped into objects and allow people to use magic."

"Magic? Like wizard magic?" asked Naruto.

"Not like those cheesy magic TV shows," Aerith said, giggling a little bit at his naivety. In her mind, his knowledge, or lack there of, just proved that he was not from this world. "It allows various abilities. I've heard of Materia allowing people to shoot fireballs, or freeze people, heal, some I've heard can even summon powerful creatures to fight for you. Although," she giggled slightly, "mine is different. It's good for absolutely nothing."

"Then why do you keep it?" asked Naruto curiously.

"It belonged to my mother."

"Mother?" he looked over at Elmyra questioningly.

"I'm not her real mother," she explained upon noticing his questioning glance. "Her real mother was... well, she's gone and I found Aerith and decided to take care of her."

"Oh..." Naruto winced. He felt like an asshole for bringing this up now. "I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Aerith said. "Mom returned to the planet so it's fine." Naruto blinked at the – once again – strange reference to the planet, like it was a conscious entity. He thought about questioning her, but before he could say anything Aerith stood up.

"I can't believe I forgot!" she looked at Naruto, "wait right here!"

Naruto and Elmyra watched as the young woman raced out of the room. He looked over at Elmyra who merely shook her head and smiled. A few seconds later Aerith returned holding a large basket filled with what Naruto recognized as Materia. She set it down on the table and smiled. "I found these on your person when you dropped out of the sky. I was going to give them to you when you woke up, but I was so surprised at you doing so so soon and forgot."

"It's fine..." Naruto said absently, most of his attention being focused on the Materia. He couldn't be positive, but had a feeling that if she had found these on him, then these Materia contained the rest of his abilities. He would have to go through them some time soon.

Aerith clapped her hands, getting Naruto's attention as she gave him a sweet smile. "Well, now that we're both awake and all fed, why don't I show you around like I promised."

Naruto smiled at the girl and stood up. He decided that going through the Materia could wait until after Aerith's tour.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>"And this is the gate that leads to the Market place, that's a fun place because of all the stories you can find there. It also leads to the upper plate. And that hole in the wall over there leads to Sector Six." Naruto couldn't help but smile as he listened to Aerith as she told him everything she could about the Slums of Sector 6. Every place in the small town held some kind of story about something she did. He also noticed that Aerith seemed to be very well liked by the people they met, everyone would smile and greet her like a long-lost friend.<p>

He also noticed that they didn't seem to like him. There was no outright hostility or hatred like he had been forced to deal with when growing up in Konoha, but he could feel a distinct lack of trust coming from the residence of Sector five.

"I don't think they like me very much," Naruto commented to Aerith, who had just stopped telling him about how she had climbed onto the roof of the small item shop they were in front of and used one of the large metal structures running down it as a slide when she was younger.

"I wouldn't worry about it," she told him with a smile. "They're just not used to outsiders is all. We don't get too many new faces around here, so when someone does show up people tend to get suspicious."

"I gotcha," Naruto said. It wasn't a big deal anyways. He had dealt with far worse and come out on top and well loved, he was positive he could do the same thing here and it would take even less time.

"C'mon," she said, grabbing his arm and dragging him towards the exit to the town. "There's another place I want to show you."

Naruto began walking himself, partly so she wouldn't drag him and make him trip, but also so he could keep up with her as she walked. As they left the town the blond took in his surroundings with sharp eyes. The place they were entering looked a lot like a junkyard, with piles of garbage and twisted looking metal structures. It reminded him of the junk heap in Konoha that he had been forced to go to in order to find his beat up appliances.

He looked ahead to see where Aerith was leading him, and found himself staring at a large structure. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but given the stained glass windows – what was left of them – it looked like some kind of religious place, or at least what he imagined a place of religion would look like. It wasn't like he had ever practiced any kind of religion before.

The roof was slanted and tiled, and the body was made of large sandstone bricks. The front door was a large set of wooden double-doors with bronze handles. There were three stained windows above the door, the patterns on them possessing some kind of symbols he had never seen before, though he did recognize the one in the center as a sun. One side had all kinds of rubble and refuse leaning against like a large mountain. Despite being more or less ruins, the place held a tranquil quality to it.

Inside the Church were several rows of wooden benches, most were in poor condition and looked to be falling apart. There were large columns on either side of the room, holding the roof up. At the far end of the room there was a door, and in the center was a small patch of vibrant looking flowers. Sunlight was streaming through a small hole in the roof, lighting up the flowers beautifully. Naruto couldn't help but wonder how there was any sunlight at all with the giant plate blocking out the sun.

"This is my private spot," Aerith said, walking further into the room. Her face possessed a soft smile, one that made Naruto's heart flutter slightly at the sight. "I come here often to tend to the flowers. It's nearly impossible to grow them in the slums, but for some reason they grow here just fine." She looked over at Naruto, green eyes met blue and the smile on her face widened as she pointed to a small spot where the blond see a slight indention in the plant-life. "And that's where you fell."

Naruto blinked as he looked between the flowers and the roof, noticing that the hole correlated rather well with the small dent in the flower bed. "And I'm guessing I created that hole, huh?" he scratched his neck in a sheepish gesture. "Sorry about that."

Aerith giggled behind her hand at his embarrassed gesture. "It's fine," she said, "the flowers here are very resilient." She walked up to him with slow, slightly halting steps, hands behind her back and a smile on her face. She only stopped once she was standing right in front of him and spread her arms in an encompassing gesture. "So what do you think?"

"It's beautiful," Naruto admitted. "I can see why you like this place, it's rather tranquil." Even his troubled soul couldn't help but feel at peace in this place.

The smile Aerith gave him lit up the entire room and Naruto couldn't help but smile as well. There was something odd about this girl, she seemed capable of putting his mind at ease without really trying. A feat in and of itself since he hadn't felt this relaxed since before the Fourth Great Shinobi War.

"So Naruto, what do you do?"

Naruto blinked. "You mean like my job?"

"Of course!"

He gave her an indulgent smile. "I'm a ninja."

"Ninja?" Aerith pressed an index finger to her cheek and adopted a cute look of contemplation. "Like those people from Wutai?"

"I don't know what Wutai is," Naruto said with a shrug. "I come from a village known as Konoha, or the Village Hidden in the Leaves. My village, along with several others were ninja villages, and were military villages with a small percentage of civilians who lived there under our protection. Our forces consisted of a large group of tens of thousands of ninja who would take on job requests from people who wanted our help; anything from simple chores like mowing the lawn to assassination of high profile targets. You name it we did it, for the right price."

"So you guys were like soldier," Aerith said.

"In a way," Naruto agreed. "But in a way not. Unlike Soldier, which works for Shinra and just Shinra, our village took mission requests from all over. So long as the mission requested would not harm an allied village and would benefit Konoha we would take it. Ninja were trained from a young age in combat and ninjutsu, ninja arts that helped enhance our abilities. I myself had been trained since five in combat."

"That sounds so horrible," Aerith said, her face taking on a pale hue. A hand reached up to cover her mouth, and a small trickle of tears formed in the corner of her eyes. "To train kids at such a young age to fight."

Naruto shrugged. "It's just the way things were. The Hidden Villages were always in a constant state of on and off warfare, so we had to train at a young age to keep our forces up and protect our home. None of us really thought about how bad we had it." He stopped when he noticed Aerith was getting uncomfortable and decided a change in subject was appropriate. "So what do you do?"

Aerith, glad for the change of topic couldn't help but give an internal sigh of relief. She looked at the blond's mesmerizing blue eyes and smiled. "I sell flowers..."

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>The days began to pass quickly as Naruto got used to living with Aerith and her mother. During that time Naruto had taken to studying the Materia that the self-proclaimed flower girl of Sector Five had found on him.<p>

His initial hunch about the Materia being where all of his skills went had been correct. Naruto had found that certain Materia had correlated with certain skills. Each Materia held the knowledge of his jutsu, his gray one holding all of his shape manipulation techniques like the Rasengan and the Kage Bunshin No Jutsu. The others held his elemental jutsu, one for earth, another for fire, wind, water, lightning, ice, lava, dust, sand, wood, blaze, storm, crystal, boil, dark, steel, swift, and magnetism. He even had two Materia for Yin and Yang release. Twenty Materia, each holding his abilities and jutsu.

Through experimentation Naruto had learned several things about these Materia. The first was that they could not be equipped onto a weapon like Aerith said most normal Materia were equipped. Naruto had to place them directly into his own body in order to use them, and he could only use one at a time. That fact kind of sucked for Naruto, who realized that it would make things much harder if not impossible to switch Materia during combat. However he figured that so long as he knew what he was getting into he could prepare his Materia in advanced and not have to worry about what type he should use.

There was an upside to having Materia instead of just jutsu. All of the attacks Naruto could use no longer required hand seals, even the ones he had not completely mastered when living in the Elemental Nations. He did notice that the drain on his reserves was noticeably larger, but his ability to replenish chakra was still impressive. While it was nothing compared to what he possessed in the Elemental Nations, Naruto chalked that up to the fact that his jutsu required anywhere from two to four times more chakra then before. The jutsu used, it's element and it's original chakra cost, all were factors in how many jutsu he could use a day. Some jutsu of the same technical rank he could use more then others, while some would exhaust him to the point that he could only use them once, before needing an hour of rest to replenish his reserves to use it again. It was annoying, but Naruto was coming to accept that things were different in this world.

Aside from learning what he was capable of in this world and making sure he stayed in shape, Naruto's life had become relatively peaceful. When he wasn't helping Elmyra around the house he was escorting Aerith to her Church or the upper plate where she sold flowers. It wasn't long before the blond shinobi's soul began to heal from the atrocities he had seen and committed during the war.

Of course, he should have known that the peace he found wouldn't last.

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><p><strong>Now, I know what you're all thinking. Dear god, Pokemaster12, why the hell are you writing another one? The truth is, this has been bugging me for a while now. I more or less ignored my desire to write this until it more or less consumed me, so here I am, writing this story. For those of you who read my challenge story, you should recognize this as the one I gave out a while ago. This story is going to be a long work in progress, given just how damn long Final Fantasy 7 is I'm guessing this story will end somewhere around 100 + chapters.<strong>

**For those of you who may be curious, this story will be divided into sections that I call phases. The first phase, otherwise dubbed as Phase 1: The City That Never Sleep is the beginning of the game/story, where Naruto and Aerith, and Cloud and his group are all in Midgar. Phase 2 would obviously be after they escape Midgar and go out into the world.**

**For your benefit I have also further divided this story into Archs to help set the pace. Each Phase will have a number of Archs, ranging anywhere from 4 to possibly 12 or more depending on when I decide a specific Phase should end. This will most likely coincide with the Disc endings.**

**Enough explanations, you guys are no doubt sick of listening to my ramblings. I hope you've enjoyed the chapter. The next one should be out much sooner then the others, because it's actually already mostly written. So you all have something to look forward to!**


	2. A1 C2: Walk Before you can Run

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 1: Enter the Sennin**

**Chapter 2: Walk Before you can Run**

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><p>It had been just a little under a month since Naruto had come to this new world, Gaia. Truth be told not much had happened in that time. Naruto kept up with his training, working out his body in the morning with the routine he had devised with A-sensei, Gai-sensei and Lee. It was a very arduous regime, one designed specifically for someone who had a Bijuu sealed inside of him. Meaning it had been made solely for Naruto. While he wouldn't be getting any stronger, physically – as his body had reached the peak of it's physical conditioning a long time ago – it kept his muscles from experiencing any atrophy.<p>

Of course, given who he was he did not need to worry about his muscles degrading much. Thanks to his regeneration factor Naruto could _theoretically _stop exercising all together and his body would still stay in perfect shape for years before they actually started to atrophy. He just wasn't willing to take the risk that his body might deteriorate, plus the constant work out kept the instincts he had acquired from leaving.

His Kage Bunshin's new durability also helped him out with this. Because they could no longer be destroyed with one hit, Naruto's clone could fight with him on even ground.

There were some problems that had arisen at first, namely that fighting himself when the vision of him and his clone overlapped each other caused Naruto to suffer a massive headache. While he could control up to two clones and himself, for some reason when he and his clones fought each other that ability left him. Several times his kage bunshin had actually been forced to dispel due to a bad case of his mind being overloaded by what it was seeing.

To solve this Naruto had actually taken to fighting blind. Both he and his kage bunshin would tie their forehead protectors around their eyes to keep the overlapping fields of vision from messing with their mind. This worked out fairly well, and it even helped Naruto by forcing him to rely on senses other then sight, a skill which would have been useful for fighting Sasuke and Tobi.

Thoughts on the two who had earned his hatred made him wonder about that final battle. He still remembered very little on just what had happened before coming to Gaia, the last thing being his battle against Sasuke and getting trapped within a seal specifically designed for him. Tobi had then shown up and used his space-time ninjutsu technique, Kamui, on him. After that all he remembered was being in unfathomable pain and then, nothing. The next thing he had known was waking up in Aerith's bedroom.

He could only hope that after his disappearance from the Elemental Nations, someone else had taken up his quest and killed the two treacherous Uchiha survivors.

Sighing, Naruto shook his head and tried bring his attention back to the present. He didn't like thinking about the past right now, his mind still wasn't quite sure whether it had truly accepted that he was more then likely stuck in this new world for the rest of his life.

Not that there was anything bad about Gaia, well, aside from the conglomerate corporation that lorded it's wealth over those less fortunate then them. That was something that pissed him off to no end.

It was unfortunate that the company was so damn big, Shinra was nothing like Gato corporation. While Gato's shipping company had been large, it was nowhere near the world spanning scale that Shinra was. On top of that they had a large army of trained soldiers, where as Gato had only used hired thugs and missing ninja to do his dirty work. Naruto had no clue just how large Shinra's army was, but if they had the ability to subjugate the entire world of Gaia, then it was likely bigger then he could handle on his own.

Ok, so maybe this world was pretty messed up. At least there was one thing in this world that he had come to enjoy.

"Thank you!"

Naruto smiled as he watched Aerith selling flowers a few feet away from him. She was quite enthusiastic when it came to trying to convince people to buy her flowers, talking with anyone who would give her the time of day and attempting to convince them to buy one of her flowers. Some people did, some people didn't and some people outright ignored her. But no matter what happened Aerith was always carrying a smile on her face as she worked. Despite not too many people buying from her, and the price of the flowers she sold only being one gil it was something the brunette woman enjoyed and that was enough for him.

He was standing a few feet away, leaning against the wall of a building as he watched her. It was something he found himself doing more and more often, even when their was no need. Aerith hadn't noticed yet but the blond shinobi was sure her mother had, if the looks she had been giving him were anything to go by.

Thankfully Elmyra had yet to mention Naruto's lingering gaze on her daughter and even though she hadn't said anything, the blond wasn't sure if she would mind Naruto and Aerith becoming something other then friends. He had often asked himself how the older woman would feel if he and her daughter got together.

Would she be happy? Angry? Neutral? Would she try to separate them? Elmyra did not have anything against Naruto, indeed the blond was sure that the woman at the very least enjoyed his company and the happiness him being there brought her daughter. But that did not necessarily mean she would approve of him entering a relationship with Aerith. At least not one that would have him and her daughter becoming something more then just friends.

Oh well, if nothing else at least Elmyra loved his cooking.

Of course, Naruto wasn't sure if he should get involved in a relationship of that nature with the young brunette. None of the relationships he had been in back when he had lived in the Elemental Nations had ever really lasted, and the few that had were not what the blond would call a real relationship. At the very least they were not the kind that were conducive to forming any kind of lasting bond beyond what might be formed from physical pleasure. Most of the relationships he'd had were based more on sex then anything else, and had been created because neither he nor the women he had slept with wanted to die with regrets. They had been those 'we could die tomorrow so we should live every day as if it could very well be our last' kind of relationships.

Definitely not the kind that formed a lasting love.

This was not to say he didn't like Aerith, because he did. She was kind, thoughtful, compassionate, beautiful, a little odd with her cryptic words about the Planet, but to Naruto that just made her unique. Aerith was one of a kind, and that was most certainly not a bad thing.

Nor did it mean that he had never thought about what it would be like to enter a relationship with the young woman. Naruto had actually spent quite a few nights thinking about Aerith, how good of a friend she had become in such a short amount of time, and how nice it would be if he could settle down with her. Even though he had not known her long, she had become very important to him. Though Naruto often wondered if that had more to do with the fact that she was the only person besides Elmyra he had any true human interaction with since coming to this world.

He had even thought about what it might be like if he and she raised children of their own. Where he and Aerith moved out of Midgar to someplace far away, beyond the reach of Shinra where they would live a simple life filled with green-eyed, blond-haired little girls and brown-haired, blue-eyed little boys and visa versa. It was actually a pleasant thought, and Naruto had always wanted a big family, being an orphan would do that to you.

Though he was probably getting ahead of himself. Sure, Aerith was a great person, someone he got along with and could even see himself living with, but he hadn't even known her for a month. Just a little over three weeks to be exact. Could he even say he was in love with her? Or was his feelings merely a reflection of her being the only person his age that he knew? As well as being the one person who had helped him more then anyone else in this strange new world.

Lending credence to these thoughts was also the small fact that he had spent more time with Aerith in three weeks then he had any other human being since the start of the Fourth Great Shinobi War. The only only other creatures he had spent even half as much time with were Shima and Fukusaku, the husband and wife Toad Sages of Mount Myobokuzen. Even then, more then eighty percent of his time with them was spent training and honing his skills for the war. So he couldn't really count that as spending quality time. With Aerith, almost all of his attention was devoted to her. That they were living together only made him even more confused.

Of course, even if he could admit that he felt... something, for the pretty young woman, there was still another glaring problem that he faced.

Namely that he still wasn't sure what Aerith meant to him.

Having grown up an orphan who was hated for his burden, Naruto had never known the love of a mother and father, and thanks to the people of Konoha passing on their hatred of him to their children, his mind had been socially stunted. He had not formed bonds or friendships with others, and that had made it hard for him to tell the difference between liking someone and loving someone.

It was actually for that very reason that he had claimed to be in love with Sakura. Back when they were younger he had first met the pinkette being picked on by a group of bullies. Naruto being Naruto had stuck up for her, defending her even as he had gotten himself beaten up for his troubles. However, it had been well worth it in his mind, as that day had been the first, last, and only day he'd had a friend to play with when he was a child.

He could still remember how much fun it had been to finally have someone playing with him. He and Sakura had played almost all day that day, playing on the monkey bars, taking turns pushing each other on the swing, bouncing back and forth on the teeter totter. It had easily been the best day of his childhood, and one he would treasure for the rest of his life.

However, that day had also ended on a sour note. When Sakura's mom had come to pick up her daughter and saw her playing with Naruto the older pinkette had freaked, snatching the girl up quickly and leaving, all the while throwing curses at the young boy. At the time, Sakura had seemed more confused about why her mom had been cursing out her new friend, and as her mother had pulled her away she had promised to meet him there the next day.

Naruto had taken her words the heart, and the next day he had gone to the park to play with Sakura. He had waited there for hours, pushing himself on the swing set, hanging off the monkey bars. After nearly four hours of waiting he had realized that his newest and only friend would not be coming. He had been saddened at first. How could he not? However, he had put it out of his mind eventually. To him, it was just another possible friend he had lost thanks to said persons parents. He had done his best not to think about Sakura, and had eventually succeeded.

Until he saw her again. It had been after failing for the second time at the academy, he had been going into the academy for the third time when he had seen Sakrua again. Never in his life had Naruto been so happy when he saw that the girl he had befriended when he was five was in the same class as him.

However, when he had gone to speak with her he had been disappointed. Not only did she not remember him, she had even picked up an intense hatred for him. No doubt her hate for him was due to her mom telling her lies about him being a trouble maker and not someone she should associate with. Whatever Sakura's mother had told her, it had worked, and Sakura had refused to speak to him.

Despite his disappointment that she did not remember him, and had even seemed to hold a deep seated dislike of him for some reason, it had not stopped him from trying to get the pinkette's attention. Many times he had tried to rekindle the friendship he'd had with her, tried talking to her, asking her for help, asking what she thought about the classes. He had done everything he could think of to get Sakura to pay attention to him.

None of it had worked, and eventually, Naruto had decided that he'd needed to step up his game. In hindsight, he could see that this was where his crush on the girl had come from. It had not been that he thought she was pretty, though he would admit she was cute, nor had it been her intelligence, even if she had been the smartest girl in class. No, the whole reason he liked Sakura had been because he had simply wanted his first friend back, and in his efforts to reclaim it tried deluding himself into believing he was in love with her.

When he thought of it like that, Naruto could see that he had never truly loved the girl back then. At the time it had simply been puppy love. Though he would – and had – still considered her to be one of his most precious people after finding that out. It hadn't been until later, after Naruto began to become more socially aware, that he fell in love with her.

It was almost ironic that it had only been a few months after this revelation that Sakura would die. Ironic and painful.

The sound of slow, measured and feminine footsteps coming towards him caused Naruto to raise his head to see Aerith walking up to him with a smile on her face. In her left hand she held the small basket which she used to carry her flowers, and Naruto noticed that it was nearly half empty, meaning she had been fairly successful today. She stopped just a few feet in front of him, her smile never leaving.

"All done?" he asked, pushing himself away from the wall. He took a moment to let out a loud yawn as he stretched his arms above his head, before bringing them back down.

"Yup!" Aerith replied with her usual cheer. "I actually made a bit more then usual today. 50 gil!" Considering she only sold one gil per flower fifty gil was actually pretty good. He noticed that her basket was almost empty and smiled.

"I take it they really liked the flowers, then?"

"Yes," Aerith said, nodding her head as they began making their way back towards the entrance to the Slums. "I have to thank you for the new flowers, they're very beautiful and everyone seems to love them."

Naruto grinned, he had learned through experimentation that his Mokuton, or wood release ability no longer related to just Mokuton jutsu. He could also create plants of all kinds, from beautifully crafted roses of the kind he grew for Aerith to extremely deadly and venomous plants. It was a useful ability since even though Naruto hadn't really had to fight much anymore, he refused to let his skills as a ninja get rusty.

After all, one never knew what kind of trouble might be lurking around the corner in a place like Midgar.

"I glad," he said, "if we sell like that every day we might even be able to afford some more creature comforts."

Aerith rolled her eyes, "I don't sell these to make money, Naruto."

"I know, I know," Naruto replied, holding up his hands in defense. "I'm just saying..." he trailed off when someone stepped in front of him. The man in front of him was a tall dark-skinned man, he was bald and had a small goatee. He was wearing a rather well tailored dark blue suit, and despite it being dark had a pair of sunglasses on. Naruto would have assumed he was some kind of business man, were it not for the way he moved. The careful, measured steps when he walked and the way his body seemed to coil like a loaded spring ready to be unleashed.

This man had the walk of someone who was an experienced fighter.

Aerith quickly hid behind Naruto and he, sensing her fear of the man stood in front of her.

"I hope you have a good reason for bothering us on our way home," Naruto said, an underlying threat in his words. He didn't know who this person, but he could sense that Aerith was at least familiar with this. It was impossible for him not to smell the fear she possessed, even if she did very well to hide it.

Rude didn't say anything, however a voice behind the pair brought Naruto's attention around. "We have no reason to bother you," said a man with a lanky physique, unkempt red hair terminating in a long ponytail, and two symmetrical red marks on his cheek bones. He was wearing goggles, pushed up onto his forehead, an unbuttoned suit jacket, and an untucked dress shirt. He had a lazy appearance, but Naruto didn't let that fool him as he spied the Electro-Mag Rod tucked into his belt. "However, we were hoping the young lady would accompany us back to Shinra Headquarters."

Naruto saw Aerith flinch and try and hide further behind him, a futile effort considering they were barricaded in on two sides. However that small act was all the information Naruto needed to act.

"Sorry, but Aerith and I are kind of in a hurry," Naruto said, his tone conversational, as if he weren't talking to two people who were trying to kidnap his first and only friend on Gaia. Under the long sleeve shirt he wore the glow of his Materia went unnoticed. "Maybe some other time gentlemen."

"Well you see now that's just too bad," the red head said. "Because we were ordered to bring her in. President Shinra says he let her go long enough and wants her to come back _home._"

"That place isn't my home," Aerith said and Naruto was actually surprised by the venom in her voice. Though he also knew it was just masking how scared she was. Which was also a surprise since he had never seen Aerith get scared of anything before, even when facing the monsters in the slums she was quite fearless. "And I won't go back."

"Well there you have it gentlemen," Naruto slowly replaced his muscles, already preparing for a confrontation. "She apparently doesn't like it there. Now I suggest you leave before I decide to make you leave in a way that will not only be painful, but humiliating as well."

"Man, would you listen to this kid Rude?" said the red head as he pulled out his Electro-Mag rod. He flicked his wrist and the rod extended, sparking with blue streaks of electricity as it turned on. "Looks like someone needs to teach this punk a lesson."

"I think the only people who are going to get taught a lesson are you two," Naruto stated, his eyes narrowing. "A lesson of what happens when you threaten my precious people. Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!" phasing into existence right next to the blond ninja were two solid clones. Thanks to his training Naruto became capable of using more then one clone to fight with, though anymore then two and his brain would overload with information. The two clones charged the surprised Shinra agents, who had little time to react as the blond copies smashed a fist into their respective faces.

"What the Fuck!" The red head shouted as he scrambled back to his feet after the hit bowled him over. He moved his jaw around, trying to get feeling back into it. It felt like someone that punch had broken it. This kid had some strength, and what was with these copies? He looked at the blond to see he was just standing there, as if waiting for something. The man shook his head, scowled, and sent the copy of the blond man a glare. "Whatever, I'm gonna teach you a lesson punk!"

He could figure out just what the hell was going on _after _he taught this punk a lesson. Shoot first, ask questions later, as it were.

Rushing Naruto with astoundingly quick yet precise steps, the red head came in swinging. The rod in his hand a blur, angled down to strike Naruto across the head. He backpedaled, the strike passing him by with several inches to spare. In spite of this, the red head didn't let up for a second, coming in hard and launching several more strikes at the blond.

An upward swing from the left hip to the right shoulder was dodged when Naruto sidestepped the attack, moving to his left and using the open palm of his right hand to redirect the man's strike entirely. A thrust was dodged much the same way, only Naruto moved to the right and his left hand came down and struck the red head's forearm. With the combination of his forward momentum and Naruto's downward palm strike, the red haired man was sent stumbling forward.

He recovered admirably, turning his stumble into a forward shoulder roll, before he kipped back on his feet. Naruto stood there as the man spun about, eyes locking onto him with a shocked and incredulous expression. The man took a moments time to recover from his surprise at being dodged so easily, his wide eyes going back to their lazy expression as a grin crossed his face.

"You're better then I expected," He complimented. That was when he noticed the blond's eyes, glowing blue orbs of power that anyone working in Shinra should recognize.

They were the Mako enhanced eyes of SOLDIER.

Or so he thought.

"The fuck?"

The man seemed to be at a loss of words for a moment. His mouth hung open in a look of astonishment, eyes widening to go with the gaping jaw. Naruto tilted his head curiously, wondering why the person who had just been attacking him so zealously was just standing there.

"Something wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

The red-haired man in the business suit shook his head, recovering his wit and casting the man a piercing that glance that did not seem to affect Naruto in the slightest.

"Those eyes... You some kind of SOLDIER or something?"

"Hmmm..." Naruto hummed, closing his eyes for a moment as if he were contemplating the question. "Perhaps, perhaps." His eyes opened again, smile still in place. "Would it matter if I was?"

By the frown on the red heads face there was definitely some kind of problem. Not that he was going to let the blond know what. In the end, he shrugged. "I guess," he admitted, and then the battle was on once more.

Closing the distance in seconds, the red head let loose a barrage of swift attacks; thrust, horizontal swing at the torso, downward stroke to the head, diagonal slash across the chest, never letting up on his attacks during his attempt to take the whiskered male down. His footwork was light, constantly moving, shifting, all the while he continued his offensive, hoping to get in at least one good hit. That was all he would need to take the blond down.

His strikes were rather quick, it was obvious to the blond that this man didn't rely on brute strength to give out punishing damage, but speed to take down his opponents quickly. The Electro-Mag Rod was probably there to make up for the lack of damage he could do when attacking.

Naruto dodged the mans attempts to hit him, he may be fast but his speed was nothing compared to Maito Gai, Rock Lee or A, all of whom had a hand in creating and training Naruto's taijutsu. Next to those three this man was moving in slow motion.

As he continued to dodge the blond became curious about the Rod and it's capabilities. Wanting to see what kind of damage it did he didn't dodge the next attack and blocked it instead. He winced a bit as the shock hit him, but didn't react otherwise. The attack hurt that was for sure, and it would likely paralyze anyone else, but it wouldn't be enough to put him down.

Naruto smiled. During his time training with the clones he had learned some rather interesting things about them. The first was they were much more durable then the ones he had made previously. They worked in the exact same way, splitting up his chakra evenly amongst however many he made. However these clones were as solidly built as his own body, right down to his regenerative-healing factor. They could take just about any beating someone could dish out, Naruto knew this as he had put it to the test.

There was a downside however, whatever the clones felt so did the original Naruto. So if a clone got stabbed in the heart and died, Naruto would feel as if someone had stabbed him in the heart. It was a trade-off for the durability and since the blond had a ridiculously high threshold for pain thanks to numerous stab, burn and jutsu wounds he had taken through out the years, he could take most attacks, even fatal ones without flinching.

Another ability he had noticed with his clones was that he had some semblance of control over them. He couldn't control their every movement, given that he had to move himself and controlling one of his clones would force him to focus all of his attention on that clone. But he could give them mental commands and coordinate with them to an extreme degree. It wouldn't be idle boasting to say that the teamwork Konoha was so proud of had nothing on him and his replications teamwork abilities.

Having seen all he needed to about the red heads abilities Naruto proceeded to begin his own attack. The red head suddenly found himself on the defensive as Naruto came in with blinding fast attacks, using mainly his feet to strike, while his hands kept the man's weapon occupied.

It wasn't long before the red head found himself being overwhelmed. _'Shit!'_ he thought as he ended up getting hit solidly in the gut after having blocked a high kick to his face. _'This kid moves like lightning! Who the hell is he!'_

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>Like his counter-part the other Naruto clone was testing out the capabilities of the man called Rude. <em>'This guys mother must have hated him to give him such a name,'<em> the blond thought as he dodged another attack. Unlike the red head, who relied on speed to hit his enemies and his taser to do the rest, Rude used heavy hits that were much more powerful and actually capable of inflicting some pain if they hit. However, like the red head, who Naruto decided to call red for simplicities sake, Rude's attacks had there own weakness.

They may be powerful but they were very slow and easy to dodge. And so Naruto danced around the man's punches, smirking the whole while as the mans face became more and more frustrated. It was kind of interesting to see, as he could tell from the way Rudes facial muscles moved that the dark skinned man was not used to showing his emotions very often.

When the man began to get sloppy as well as slow, Naruto decided it was time to show him what real strength was.

Letting the next attack come at him he held up a hand, casually catching the fist as if the punch had been thrown by a child. The attack actually did manage to sting, the blond could even feel a tingle travel up his arms. Had he not reinforced his body with chakra, that punch may have actually broke his arm.

Naruto did not let any of this show on his face. Instead he smirked as he saw Rudes eyes widen beneath his sunglasses. "Let me show you how a real punch his thrown," the blond said. Acting to fast for Rude to even see much less follow, Naruto let of his hand and lashed out with quick yet powerful punch.

Never let it be said that Naruto Uzumaki hadn't learned from the best. With people like Lee, Gai and A teaching him taijutsu the blond had become a monster in hand-to-hand combat. When the war came to a head his speed was said to have rivaled his father, and the power behind his attacks was second only to A when using his Raiton No Yoroi or Lee and Gai when they opened up the eight inner gates.

However, they hadn't been his only teachers in taijutsu, and Naruto, who had wanted – needed – to be the most powerful shinobi he could, went to the one person who could help his already great natural strength increase phenomenally.

He had gone to Tsunade.

When Naruto had first gone up to the busty blond Hokage and asked her to teach him the secret to her super strength, Tsunade had laughed at him. Admittedly, while he had been much more powerful then before his chakra control had still sucked, and even though he was better at controlling his chaotic energy it had not been good enough for her to help teach him her secret strength technique.

But Naruto was stubborn, he had persisted and despite the fact that Tsunade couldn't teach him her super strength, she had been willing to help him come up with something just as good when he needed an extra bang without entering his Sennin-mode or his Jinchurikki state.

Working together the two had come up with a suitable substitute. It was not as strong as her strength technique – not by a long shot – but it worked better then any other strength enhancing jutsu besides his Sennin-mode. By encasing his entire fist in chakra and releasing it upon impact, Naruto got more or less the same effect as Tsunade technique. There were some differences, unlike Tsunade's strength it took around sixteen to twenty times more chakra than hers and because the chakra was equalized through out his entire hand the attack did not do as much damage. But to Naruto those weaknesses didn't really matter much. He had always had monstrous reserves of chakra, combine that with his ability to restore chakra thanks to the Kyuubi and the cost was negligible to him. That meant the only component Naruto needed to worry about was his timing, and Naruto had great hand-to-eye coordination.

Had Rude been capable of seeing the punch Naruto threw at him, he would have immediately spotted the blue shroud of energy covering the blonds hands. As it was he didn't see it, so when Naruto attacked, not only was Rude not expecting it and therefore incapable of preparing, it was likely he would not have been capable of lessening his injury even had he prepared for the hit.

The attack was launched into Rude's gut and the bald man could have sworn his entire stomach caved in and his rib-cage cracked as his body shook. Then he was sent flying backwards faster then a bullet being shot from a gun. He crashed into the wall, cracking it under the pressure. The wall seemed to cave in as if incapable of holding his weight. Spider web cracks formed out from the point of impact. Rude only had a moment to groan before the wall came lose, releasing him to gravity and burying him under a pile of bricks.

Naruto looked away from where the man was buried, he was still alive as the blond could feel his chakra. Even though it was fluctuating he would survive provided he received medical attention. He looked over to see the other clone had already finished Red, the man was slumped against the wall knocked out cold.

The two should be thankful he no longer wished to kill anymore or they would have been dead.

The two Naruto's looked at each other before nodding. A second later, both disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving behind no evidence that they were there other then the two unconscious men and the ruined wall.

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>Naruto sighed in relief as his eyesight once again became a single field of vision. How Pain put up with seven Paths was beyond the blond, he could barely stand three!<p>

With the danger gone Naruto looked down at his friend. During his clones attack he had scooped Aerith into his arms and ran up the wall, using his roof hopping ability to get to the Slums entrance. Currently, she was still in his arms, her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and her face buried in his shoulder. She looked scared and just the thought that those men were the cause angered him. He didn't know what was going on but he vowed to himself he would get to the bottom of this.

"Aerith," Naruto said softly. "We're safe now, those men aren't here anymore."

"Really?" asked Aerith. She looked up at Naruto and he smiled at her.

"Really." he grinned, "you didn't think they would be able to beat me did you?"

"Of course not," Aerith smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Hey isn't that what the hero is supposed to do?" asked Naruto. "You know, rescue the princess save the day and all that." Aerith giggled lightly and the blond smiled before sighing. "Aerith, I'll understand if you don't want to talk about it, but I was hoping you could shed some light on why those men were after you."

Aerith became silent and buried herself into his shoulder again. "I don't want to talk about it."

"I know, but it may help me protect you better," Naruto said.

"You'll think I'm different."

"You say that like being different is a bad thing," the blond joked. However that seemed to be the wrong thing to say to Aerith and he felt a little nervous when she glared at him.

Aerith never glared.

"I don't want to be different! I want to be normal!"

Naruto sighed, he didn't quite know what was wrong but he could tell it was – in some ways at least – similar to his situation with Kyuubi. He moved over to a large pile of rubble and sat down. Placing the brunette in his lap Naruto secured his arms around her waist and held her close. He didn't know what possessed him to do this, or perhaps he did and just wasn't willing to admit it, but he could not deny that he enjoyed having the young woman in his arms.

And she didn't seem to mind either, as her body relaxed into his, though he tell she was still bothered by his question from the way her muscles continued to remain stiff.

"I can understand how you feel," he started. "I know what it's like to be different."

"And what about being looked at like your some kind of science experiment?" asked Aerith a tad bitterly. It was a very different tone of voice then he was used to from her. The young brunette had never shown any form of negative emotions before, always remaining positive, chearful and slightly playful ever since they had met. But it was becoming clear that while her attitude was in no way an act, it was also used to hide something she found painful. What that was Naruto didn't know, but it likely had something to do with her past.

"I know how that is too," Naruto said, surprising the girl. What he said was true, both Orochimaru and Kabuto had gained a sick sort of fascination with him during their time in life. He was sure if given the chance they would have happily conducted all kinds of twisted experiments on him. He quickly shook off the disturbing thoughts and continued. "I know what it's like to be different. Where I come from, before I managed to gain any respect people always treated me like I had the plague, like I was some kind of monster that was to be avoided at all costs. Even when I was little it was like this. Parents wouldn't let their children play with me, always telling their kids that I was no good and they would be punished if they tried. I had entered the ninja academy in an effort to make people stop ignoring or glaring at me like I had done something wrong, and I had hoped that if the kids were away from their parents I would be able to make friends. I should have known better, but what can I say? I was naïve and stupid back then."

"By the time the academy started all of the adults had passed there hatred for me onto their children, and soon enough I was the laughing stock of class. Those who didn't outright ignore me made fun of me, and eventually, I was forced to play the role they had set. I figured, if they were going to just make fun of me anyways, I might as well do something worth being laughed at. So I played a fool, I played pranks, I did anything I could to get attention, because even negative attention was better then none at all."

He looked at Aerith and saw that she was crying, whether it was from his story or due to her thinking about his own Naruto didn't know. And in the end he didn't really care.

Offering the young woman a soft smile he gently wiped away her tears, brushing her cheeks right under her eyes with the back of his fingers. "So believe me, I know what it's like to be different. Now, why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

Aerith looked at Naruto, glowing blue eyes met emerald green. Those eyes, he really did have the most beautiful eyes she had ever seen, even better then...

She shook her head, banishing the thoughts before they could form. Looking at Naruto again she decided then and there that he was trustworthy, enough so she could tell him her deepest secret. The only thing that could cause her to crumble as she had. "I'm not exactly human, not like the other people on Gaia. I'm what's known as a Cetra, or an Ancient..."

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Naruto frowned as he leaned against the head of his bed. His hands were drawn up behind him, acting as a pillow for his head . It was rather late at night, or the equivilant of night within the slums, both Aerith and her mother had gone to sleep some time ago. However, Naruto was unable to sleep this night, his mind was too busy trying to process what he had learned today to get any rest.<p>

Aeirth had told him what she could about her people, what little she knew anyways. The Ancients, more often refereed to as the Cetra by the few people who still knew of them, had been a nomadic race that may or may not have originated on Gaia. According to her they had settled on the planet after a long, arduous journey. Some Cetra, who would go on to later be called the ancients, continued their journey, whilst others settled down and eventually became the modern day humans.

At some point most of the Cetra died out, Aerith had been very unclear on this part, letting Naruto know through his observations of her that she did not know what happened to them other then that most of them died out.

It was also clear that some of them had survived, as Aerith had proclaimed herself to be the last known Cetra on Gaia. Naruto was not sure if that was true or not, but had chosen to believe her. If nothing else, the fact that Shinra was after her lent credence to her claims. Given how large the company was supposed to be, and how ruthless they clearly were, he knew that if another Cetra did exist, then they would have no doubt found him or her by now.

That they hadn't left no doubt in Naruto's mind that there were no other Cetra on Gaia. It also meant that Shinra would not stop in their pursuit of Aerith's. This left him with something of a problem, however.

Naruto had eventually planned on returning to his ninja roots, more or less. At some point he had planned on finding some way to advertise his services as a Mercenary, willing to take almost any job for the right price. Because he wasn't really interested in killing anymore, he planned on taking jobs more along the lines of protection details, monster hunting – he didn't consider killing monsters as wrong since they were not human, and any other little thing that needed to be done. Essentially meaning the equivalent of D-rank missions in this world.

It had been his hope that this would allow him to earn money so that Elmyra and her daughter wouldn't have to rely on Aerith's flowers for income. He was thankful for the two of them had letting him stay with them, however, he did not feel right by taking advantage of their hospitality when he had done nothing to pull his weight.

Now he had a problem. With those men after her, it meant he couldn't afford to sell himself out, and clones were not an option either. While they may have his strength, abilities and durability, they still split his chakra in half, which meant he would be at least half as weak as he was otherwise, and the more clones he made the weaker he would become. And while those men he had fought had been beaten by two of his clones, this was more of an attribute to surprise, rather then skill. Naruto was sure that, should they fight again, they would be better prepared for him and therefore not caught off guard.

Yes, Naruto decided that using clones was not an option.

"Naruto? Are you awake?"

Hearing the feminine and familiar voice whisper out his name caused Naruto to look over at the door. It was open a bit, just a small crack. He could see one of the soft, green eyes of Aerith peeking at him through the doorway.

"Aerith? What are you doing still up?" asked Naruto, a small frown marring his features. "You've had a pretty tough day, you should get some rest." When Aerith didn't respond he grew mildly concerned. "Is something wrong?"

"I can't sleep."

Naruto sat up straighter and beckoned for her to come in. seeing his hand gesture for her to enter, Aerith did so, shutting the door behind her as silently as possible.

She turned around and crept over to him, using soft, nearly silent steps. No doubt in an attempt to make the wooden tiling creek and wake up Elmyra, whose bedroom was directly underneath his.

Once Aerith reached Naruto, said blond moved his legs out from under the covers and slid them out of the bed until his feet were touching the floor, allowing the brunette to sit next to him.

For a moment there was nothing but silence. Naruto studied Aerith's expression, noting the way her face was slightly pale and the light sheen of sweat on her skin. It was clear from the way her eyes wandered up to his, only to look away, that she wanted to tell him what was on her mind, but was unsure how to go about it.

Which meant Naruto would have to be the one to start this conversation.

"Nightmares?" he asked. He did not think that was quite the case, but figured it was a good opening for her to let whatever she was worried about off of her chest.

Aerith shook her head. "I would need to go to sleep to have nightmares."

"Then it's about what happened today." It wasn't a question, and Aerith's knew that. Still, she nodded her head.

"This isn't the first time they've come after me," she said slowly.

Naruto perked his ears up at her admission, he had sort of figured that out already, but she had not confirmed it and, with all of the information she had given him on the Cetra, he had been to inundated to really ask about the people after her.

"It normally didn't bother me this much. While they always kind of frightened me, I was always able to slip past them. But this time..." she shivered a little and Naruto, not quite knowing what to do but wanting to comfort her slid his left arm around her shoulder.

Aerith didn't resist, instead of pulling away she scooted closer to him, relaxing into his half-embrace, her head resting on his shoulder as she drew in the slight muskiness of his scent. Despite the fact that Naruto smelled of metal, blood – because it still had yet to fully wash off – and the scent that was uniquely his, she found it oddly comforting.

"This time they had almost caught me," she started again. Her voice trembled a little, and Naruto was reminded that while this young woman may be very brave, she was still just that. A young woman who had never truly experienced the horrors that life had to offer, had never seen the atrocities people could commit in order to get what they wanted. Though it was clear from the way she had looked at those men, that she knew what would likely become of her if she went with them.

She looked up at him and Naruto felt his heart lurch slightly at the sight of her trembling eyes. Nobody should have such fearful eyes, especially not a woman as outgoing and friendly as Aerith.

"Had you not been there they would have caught me this time." She shivered.

"What do they want with you anyways exactly?" asked Naruto. "I mean, I know your a Cetra and all, but what reason would they need you for?"

That had been something that had bugged him when Aerith told him of the Cetra. While it was clear that her people held some kind of power, he still could not figure out just what Shinra wanted with her.

Though he could certainly create theories based on what he had seen of Rude and Red. The way those two had spoken, without a hint of remorse for what might befall her should Aerith agree to go with them. It was obvious that the people in Shinra were not... pleasant, at best Aerith would be subject to their every whim and forced to do what they want. At best...

Well, if these people were anything like Orochimaru then she would be in trouble if they caught her.

For a few seconds Aerith was silent, contemplating what to tell him. In the end she just decided to be out with it, he had protected her and more importantly, she trusted him. If anyone was worthy of knowing this information it was Naruto.

"There is a legend about the Cetra; The Cetra were a race who traveled the Planet, healing and cultivating it, and at the end of their journey they would find the Promised Land, a land of supreme happiness."

"And Shinra wants to find this land?"

"That would be my guess," Aerith shrugged her shoulders a bit. "When I was a little girl, one of those people in the black suits had come to our house. He said that they had been searching for me, he wanted mom to return me to them. I refused of course, and he went on this long speech about how my mother was an ancient and that I would be the one to lead everyone to a land of supreme happiness. After that my mom and I moved, I didn't want to go back with them just to be locked up in a research lab and studied. But mom couldn't protect me. We used to live in the Sector 2 slums before coming here."

"That's why you want to be normal, isn't it?" said Naruto, suddenly realizing why she didn't like the thought of being different. "Because Shinra wanted you for being different, for being a Cetra."

"...Yes," Aerith admitted, not really able to say anything else as Naruto hit the nail on the head. Sighing a little bit, she lifted her head off of Naruto's shoulder and looked at him. "I don't want to go with those people, I won't go back."

"And you won't have to," Naruto said. In his mind he had already decided what he was going to be doing in this world.

"_When a person has something important to protect, that is when they become really strong."_

Aerith looked up at him, her head tilting to the side in curiosity.

Naruto offered her a smile. "I won't let them take you away. From now on, I'll protect you."

For some reason, the moment she heard his words, Aerith felt an odd mixture of emotion. Her heart was racing, it's beating erratic and fast. Yet at the same time, she couldn't help but feel relaxed, at peace, secure. There was a warmth in her chest that spread through out her body. It also externalized itself in the loveliest of blushes.

Aerith buried her face into Naruto's shoulder in a futile attempt at hiding her blush.

"Thank you."

Naruto chuckled slightly as the hand on her shoulder absently traced an Uzumaki Swirl along the semi-translucent cloth covering her skin. "Your welcome."

On this night Naruto made a vow to never fail again. Come hell or high water, he would protect this girl, who had become his most precious and only friend in this new world.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"You say they were both defeated?"<p>

"Yes sir. We sent Reno and Rude to apprehend the Ancient. However there was a man with her. They claim that he used strange new magic that could create copies of himself to fight and he was able to defeat them both with ease."

"If this man is as strong as you say, then he could very well put a damper on our plans to find the Promised Land."

"Should I send more Turks to capture her?"

"No Tseng, we shall leave her for now. It wouldn't be a good idea to try and capture her with such a powerful and unknown quantity protecting her. Was there anything else we know about this man?"

"Yes sir, he has spiky blond hair, and glowing blue eyes. Reno thinks he may be an ex-SOLDIER."

"An ex-SOLDIER you say?"

"Yes sir, however, since I only have a basic physical description I can't search the database for him."

"Find out what you can. I want to know as much as possible about this supposed 'SOLDIER'. Once we know who we're dealing with we can take action."

"Very well, President Shinra."

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><p><strong>Told you this second chapter would be finished soon.<strong>


	3. A1 C3: Shinobi Secrets

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 1: Enter the Sennin**

**Chapter 3: Shinobi Secrets**

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><p>Naruto woke up very early the next morning. While he still could not be sure of the time thanks to the sky not being visible, thanks to his internal clock he knew he had woken up at least four hours earlier then usual. Even before the start of the Fourth Great Shinobi War the blond had been very good at determining the time without the need of a clock.<p>

Slowly and silently, using the stealth that only a shinobi of his level could reach, Naruto got dressed with the clothing he had set out for himself the night before.

When he finished getting dressed, Naruto headed out of his room, closing the door without a sound, not even a click that normally signified the mechanism locking. He made his way through the hall, his feet light and silent as he came upon Aerith's room.

He stopped, looking at the door for a second before carefully placing his left ear against the door frame. Naruto then channeled chakra into his ear, allowing it to meld into the door and act as a personal microphone for him so he could hear into the room beyond. It wasn't as effective as he would have liked, the acoustics of the door was terrible due to the wooden material, but he could hear well enough to pick up the soft, cute breathing noises that Aerith made when she was asleep.

Retracting his ear, Naruto let loose a completely inaudible sigh. He had big plans today and as much as it pained him, he could not let Aerith's come with him, or even know what he was doing. The possibility for danger was much to extreme for his taste, and that danger would have increased exponentially if she came with him.

Being careful not to make a noise, Naruto descended the steps and entered the living room.

The living room was empty, with naught a soul to be seen in the darkened room. His glowing blue eyes scanned the interior space around him, noting that the door to Elmyra's room was shut, and the lights behind it were turned off. He wouldn't need to worry about her being awake, knowing that Elmyra was not mischievous and cunning like her daughter.

Naruto walked across the room and over to the door, unlocking it and making his way outside.

As soon as he was out of the house Naruto started off in a slight jog. He moved out of the secluded area that Aerith and Elmyra lived, and ran into the less hospitable looking part of the Sector Five Slums.

Most the people there were still sleeping, what with it being so early in the morning, with only a few vagabonds sitting against piles of junk or in alleyways, the scent of alcohol wafting from their breath. Naruto was thankful that most everyone was asleep as it meant he wouldn't need to stop and chat with any of the people he had come to know during his time here. He was short on time as it was.

He made it to the gate that led to the Market place. Naruto made his way over to the contraption that opened the gate, pressing the button and watching as the gears on either side of the large, metal set of double-doors spun and turned with a creaking groan. He had to wince as the sound was quite load, especially to his overly stimulated hearing. The blond could only hope that it hadn't woken up anyone as he made his way past the gate.

The market place was basically exactly what it's name stated it to be. It was a busy and bustling shopping center within the slums, easily the busiest place Naruto had seen since his arrival in Gaia.

While it still held the same grungy look, with buildings either being made of rusty metal bungalows, or even rotting wooden huts, it still held the same crowded and enthusiastic feel that places like Otofugen Gai had in the Elemental nations. There were hundreds of buildings, stalls and vendors all lining the dirt covered streets, and even at this busy hour hundreds of people could be seen walking and chatting away as they shopped at stores, haggled for prices and paid for goods.

It seemed that even with Shinra lording their wealth over the heads of the people, life in the Slums continued on unabated. It was actually quite impressive, how durable and adaptive these people were.

Naruto walked through the crowd, his gait calm and his footsteps confident. He wove through the throng of people with the ease of someone who was used to dodging kunai that were thrown with speeds relative to that of a bullet.

Eventually, he made it to his destination.

The cobble-stone stairs leading up to the train, a rusty colored locamotive with the Shinra symbol proudly displayed on it's side. The engines could be heard, a low thrum that rumbled and chugged slightly as if it were rearing to go.

Next to the train was a Shinra Security guard, easily identifiable by his red cloak and the brown cap he was wearing. As well as the semi-automatic rifle he had slung over his left shoulder.

"Passport," he demanded as soon as Naruto walked up to him, his free hand already being held out to the blond in a gesture that was easily understood.

Naruto, already in a henge that he had performed while in the middle of the crowded streets – it was amazing to him that no one had even paid attention – reached into his back pocket and pulled out the Passport of the man he was henged into.

It had been very easy to pickpocket it off the guy as he passed by. Having grown up on the streets of Konoha, which while no where near as bad as the Slums, had still been a hard existence, Naruto had learned how to steal from people without them knowing very easily. The fact that the people here were not ninja made it even more so.

He handed the Passport to the guard, waiting as the man ran a scan over the small strip on the back of the card. There was a soft ping from the device, claiming the passport was valid, and the man gave it back to him.

"Get on board, the train will be leaving in fifteen minutes."

Naruto nodded, but did not say anything as he walked passed the guard.

The inside of the compartment was fairly plain, and rather barren. The benches that were lined along either side of the train were stained with rust and age, the handles and railings were in similar condition, with orange, yellow and red stains letting him know that this car had not been cleaned in years, possible even decades.

Naruto had been on several train when he had been in the Elemental Nations, after Dotou had been ousted Yuki No Kuni had begun using the railways that the man had created for civilian use. While he was not surprised to find that these trains were no where near as luxurious as the ones he had enjoyed whenever he stopped in to pay a visit to Koyuki, he was still surprised at just how broken down and rusty the train looked. There were only a few people inside, a businessman who looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion, a teenage couple who looked like they belonged in a punk band, and a hobo that had taken up residence on one of the seats.

Walking further in after his eyes finished scanning the room, Naruto took a seat away from everybody else. He propped up his left foot on his right knee, his arms crossing over his chest as his body took a relaxed position, eyes closing as if to take a nap.

However, even with the look of being completely relaxed and at ease, Naruto's body was loaded like a spring. His muscles were coiled like a snake that was waiting to strike out against his prey, or anyone that got to close. While he may be acting paranoid, as there was no one in this world who could see through his henge, he did not want to take any chances at being caught off guard.

"The train will be departing shortly. All passengers who have yet to find a seat, please do so."

The announcement came over the speakers, causing Naruto to open his eyes and look at the one nearest him for a second, before shutting them again and once more relaxing.

Soon enough the train began moving, and Naruto fell into a silent state of meditation, preparing himself for the task ahead.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Shinra Headquarters was the most dominating sight in the Midgar skyline, and easily the largest building Naruto had ever seen. The Shinra Headquarters consisted of no fewer than 70 floors with all floors above 59 requiring special clearance in the form of keycards. Generally only Shinra employees were permitted on the elevator to floors higher than the entrance level and Exhibit Room. Looking at the large and imposing structure, Naruto knew it wouldn't be easy sneaking into the more secure areas.<p>

Sighing, he stood up from where he had been crouched behind an alley. The blond had changed his outfit from the usual clothing people found in the slums could be consistently seen wearing. He was now wearing an all black ninja outfit that Shima had helped him make during the war. Sturdy black pants that were tight on the top half of his waist and flared out at the end before moving into a pair of close toed ninja sandals. He had a long sleeve shirt that fit his torso like a second skin and allowed for full range of motion with no resistance. On top of his head was a full face mask that covered everything but his eyes, and even those were covered with a pair of sunglasses now. On his hands were full-fingered gloves. He also had forearm and ankle guards that were sprayed in a matte black color.

Naruto had sealed these clothes into a seal on his left leg in case he needed to use them during the war. He was thankful when he discovered that he could still use his seals so long as he had his neutral chakra Materia equipped, otherwise he would not have been able to unseal these clothes and would have been forced to find someone who could make them.

"Henge," the blond muttered. His skin rippled, making his body look similar the that of a jelly fish when poked. Starting from the top of his head and making it's way down where ever the ripple spread his body began to change. His hair, skin and eye color changed, his body structure became different, stalkier, and his clothes were changed into something more modern. When the process was complete Naruto looked like a middle aged man with graying brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin and a dark gray business suit.

Walking in through the front door Naruto took a quick look around. On either side of the room were a set of large stairs in a gaudy blue color and gold color. Right in front of him was a directory, and a little further then that was the foyer, which held the front desk. Overall the place screamed wealth, even if the décor was terrible.

Looking at the directory for a second, Naruto memorized the buildings general layout. In order to get to the upper floors Naruto would need to travel to the second floor, which held an elevator to the fifty-ninth floor. Plan in place Naruto tracked up the stairs.

His eyes scanned the room as he moved towards the elevator, taking in the people around him and deciding their threat level. Most of them were nonthreats, civilians judging by their business suits. There were a few soldiers, which he recognized as such by their blue armor, shoulder plates, odd helmets with the three red lights in a triangle fashion on top and the machine guns slung around their shoulders. However, they were just standard infantry, while Naruto was not sure what people in SOLDIER looked like, the way the uniformed men walked and carried themselves told him of their inexperience.

Should worst come to worst, it would not be hard for him to take them out and beat a hasty retreat.

When he entered the elevator, he pressed the button for the fifty-ninth floor. The doors closed with a soft ding, and Naruto felt the small, gravitational force of the tiny compartment bear down on him as it began moving up.

Closing his eyes Naruto began to slow his breathing. The next phase of his plan to infiltrate Shinra Headquarters would be much harder.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>The Shinra soldier whose job was to stand guard at the Elevator entrance to floor fifty-nine sighed. When he had first joined Shinra it had been with the notion that he would get some excitement in his life, exploring different regions of the world, fighting large battles to protect the innocent. The kind of life that hero's lived.<p>

That had been flushed down the toilet when he was told what his real job would be. Guarding Shinra HQ from intruders. '_Not like anyone would be stupid enough to break into this place,'_ the guard thought with a derisive snort. Shinra Headquarters was the most fortified building in the entire world. Not only were there guards protecting the place but Shinra had a high tech and very powerful security system that made it damn near impossible to get into.

Then there was the monsters...

The guard shuddered. Doctor Hojo, the leading scientist and madman of Shinra had created all manner of beasts to protect this place. From large cyborgs and robots to freaky looking monsters of the kind one would expect to find in a horror movie. Even if someone did try to get in here, they would be ripped apart by the insane doctors mad creations.

DING!

The guard looked over at the elevator door as it swung open. He frowned when he saw that the interior was completely empty. The elevators in Shinra didn't move on there own unless someone pushed the buttons inside, and they wouldn't open on a floor when no one had called it.

He walked over to the elevator, keeping a tight grip on his gun. He looked inside for several moments and frowned, trying to figure out what had caused the elevator to open on this floor.

A soft breeze made him turn around.

Nothing.

Sighing, the guard figured there was a maintenance issue and determined he would file it in when he got off his shift. He went back to his post as if nothing had happened.

Working for Shinra really was a boring and thankless job.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>There was a slight shimmer in the air as Naruto appeared within the elevator just as the doors closed again. A slight smile appeared on his face at how easy it was to use the Meisaigakure no Jutsu. This particular jutsu was a ninja escape technique that allowed the user to control how light was reflected around their body with chakra inflections. The technique had always been hard for Naruto, mainly because it required constant recalibrations and the release of very minute amounts of chakra into the air in order to constantly keep his form invisible. Essentially, it was a technique that required very good control, the kind one would expect to find in a genjutsu user.<p>

It was moments like these he appreciated how easy the materia made his techniques. He no longer had to worry about controlling his chakra, he just selected the technique he wanted to do and it worked automatically at the cost of using a little more chakra.

The technique also erased the user's scent and shadow, and was usable on any terrain, making it ideal not only for covert maneuvers but also offensive strikes. Perceiving the user's position was possible only for ninja who were astute enough to observe minute variations within their surrounding environment, such as distortions of air currents in the immediate vicinity or distinguishing sounds, i.e. footsteps etc.

Fortunately for him there was no one so far that he had found who could detect him in this world. He was sure that there were some, like maybe these first-class SOLDIER members that Aerith had eluded to. But regular grunts like the man he had just filched from would never be able to notice him.

He looked at the keycard he had stolen from the guard. With luck the man would just assume he had dropped it somewhere. Its not like someone could have possibly stolen it since the guard had likely spent most of his time on the fifty-ninth floor alone.

It was a very basic looking card, about a centimeter thick with a black stripe on going across the upper most part on the back length-wise, there was a small serial number in the bottom left-hand corner as well. The front of the card was blue, with the Shinra Symbol for Shinra Electric Power Company on the left and a picture of the man he had swiped the card from on the right top portion of the card. According to what he had learned from Aerith, who had some basic knowledge about Shinra thanks to having been held as their captive when she was younger, all he had to do was swipe this card through the slot on the elevator or door to access them.

Chuckling Naruto slid the keycard through the slot on the left-hand side and pressed the button for the sixty-first floor. The floor began moving again. The ride to the floor Naruto wanted to head up to was much shorter, being only two floors above the one he had just come from. Within a few seconds there was a chime and the door opened.

Naruto walked into a room that looked like a break room of some kind. Tables were scattered sparsely around the room, there were several plants and tress located in groves and a long bench lined the rather large window which took up more then half of the wall space.

The blond walked over to a vending machine and got himself a beverage using the card, before sitting down at one of the tables on the outer ring of the room. This way he could watch all of the people coming and going.

He kept himself in a casual sitting stance, one befitting a businessman working for Shinra as he surveyed the others around the room. Most were middle aged men with a similar disposition to his current role. Those ones were sitting alone, some eating, some reading the newspaper, but none talking with each other.

There were a few soldiers lounging in the room, but they didn't associate with the others. In fact, most of the other people seemed to be frightened of them. Naruto wondered if it was because they were armed or if there was another reason. He knew they weren't in SOLDIER as they lacked the tell tale glow of their eyes, so it couldn't be that. Maybe normal people just couldn't deal with big guys carrying weapons in this world?

His eyes soon found his mark around twenty minutes after sitting. An attractive woman who looked to be in her late twenties. Her long blond hair was done up in a severe ponytail and she had bright blue eyes, not to mention a rather large bust. He assumed her good looks were at least half, if not the entire reason she had been hired. She looked like a secretary if Naruto were to judge her by her suit, a black skirt with a white collared shirt and black jacket combination. Most of the secretaries worked on the first floor. The only reason he knew differently was the gleaming keycard attached to a belt loop on her hip.

Standing up Naruto entered one of the restrooms. A single stall. Utilizing his transformation abilities again to change his appearance. This time he was a rather attractive male in his mid to late twenties, with a head of messy black hair, soul piercing green eyes and a cut physique. He looked like one of those male models he had seen in a magazine that he had caught Elmyra reading once – an act which had made her blush and him snicker at her embarrassment. That had been a funny situation. Funnily enough the form he took was more or less his true appearance and he just changed his hair and eye color, and his skin tone.

Normally he wouldn't make his appearance this similar, since if he did this in a hidden village they might be able to figure out who he was. But the people on Gaia didn't have the ability to shape shift like he could, so he should be safe.

He exited the small stall and made a B-line for the woman. As he walked he took notice of her emotional state through minute observations of her facial features and posture. She looked annoyed, and it was a rather easy assumption for him to make that her reason for it was her boss, and likely her male co-workers hitting on her. She probably also didn't like it that she was hired for her looks and not her brains.

He took a moment to thank Mei Terumi for... teaching him about woman. During the war, just a little after he had started dating Sakura, which had coincidentally been about a month before she had been killed by Sasuke, Mei had been the one who more or less kept him sane. She had been the one who helped him get over his loss and focus on his training, he would even be willing to admit that it was because of her that he was the man he was today. Her words and encouragement had been what he needed to push himself harder in the war. To get stronger.

And she had been the one who had taken it upon herself to teach him about women. More specifically about how to please a woman during intercourse. The blond had always assumed his first time would have been with Sakura. Some people thought he had slept with Shion, since he had agreed to help he create a new priestess. But that had involved masturbating into a cup, not sex like everyone assumed. In fact, aside from Naruto's infamous Oroike no Jutsu and the few sections he read of his sensei's novels, he had not really known what was involved in sex.

Despite this he knew what sex was, and knew it was between a man and woman who loved each other. So it was only natural to assume it would be done with his first crush. It had taken a while, a long while, before he and Sakura had started dating. And despite the fact that he didn't have the slightest concept of what sex was, he was going to ask Sakura if she had wanted to take their relationship to next level as it were. In a time when either one of them could die due to the war, he hadn't wanted to live with any regrets.

Of course it had to be the day after he decided this that Sakura ended up dying. The squad she had been with had been ambushed and Sakura had been killed while trying to heal Lee from a near fatal wound. They, along with the rest of their squad had been killed mercilessly by the man he had thought of as a brither.

When Naruto had heard that he had gone on a rampage against the enemy lines. In fact, during that time Naruto had killed more men then anyone else in a single battle. He couldn't remember much of what happened, that time his vision had been filled with red. But he could still remember his desire for revenge, to kill those who had taken Sakura from him. So he had bathed in the blood of his enemies, the Zetsu clones Madara had created a seemingly limitless army of had been decimated. The resurrected ninja that had been foolish enough to get in his way were slaughtered – their bodies quite literally destroyed on the molecular level and thus incapable of being resurrected – a countless number of times during his desire to satiate his bloodlust and revenge.

And when it was over Naruto had become spent, an empty shell of the vibrant teen he had been. His illusions ripped away, his dream of a peaceful world gone. He had come to understand something that day, peace was an illusion. How could there ever be peace when people continued to kill each other? When hatred from the loss of loved ones continued to spread? Could there ever truly be peace when people like Sasuke and Madara existed in the world to infect others with their hatred?

It had been those thoughts that seriously made him consider giving up. Maybe Madara had been right in thinking peace could only be gained by controlling peoples every thought and action.

It had been Mei who put him back on track, gave him his life back and set him straight. He didn't love her, and Naruto knew she would never have proclaimed to love him. But he had come to cherish the times they had spent in bed together, and he knew from the way she had begun to act around him that had circumstances been different, had they not been in a war, maybe things could have worked out between them. Had she survived the war, perhaps they would have had a life together.

Ignoring the sadness that welled up in his chest at the thought of his dead loved ones, Naruto sat down next to the young woman. "Hard day?" he asked, his tone changing from it's normally playful overtones to one that was warm and inviting. It was something he had learned to do at some point during his life, modulating his voice to cause different emotional reactions in people.

It would serve him well here he was sure.

"You could say that again," the woman muttered. She looked over at him, her mouth open to speak again. She stopped, it was only for a few seconds in which she looked him up and down. The light blush on her cheeks and the slight dilation of her pupils let him know she liked what she saw. Then she began talking again, "it's like every idiot here just thinks that because I'm an idiot just because I have blond hair, blue eyes and big breasts."

"Well, I certainly don't," Naruto said with a wry grin. "Of course, if I insulted someone for being an idiot based on their looks, I would be kind of hypocritical. Don't you think so?" The girls musical laugh was exactly what he was looking for.

"I suppose that's true isn't it?" the woman smiled at him and Naruto knew she would be easy pickings.

"Would you like to talk about it? The idiots, I mean?" The woman eyed him for a moment before smiling.

"It certainly couldn't hurt..."

And so Naruto began listening to her tirade on the injustice of her life, of how people thought that she was just another pretty face in the crowd, and how her co-workers and the mayor liked to hit on her. He made sure to pay attention to all of the things he said, adding comments of sympathy and scorn for the idiots who thought they could get a quick lay out of her when appropriate. He made sure to be attentive to her needs, and even paid for the lunch they ended up getting.

He felt kind of bad as he listened to her, knowing that he was just using her. Not that it would stop him, he had long since grown used to doing detestable things, and not even two weeks of relaxing could change how desensitized he had become to acts of killing, rape, torture and seduction.

Besides, he was a shinobi, he was trained for these kinds of things.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Mmmm..."<p>

Naruto pressed the beautiful blond, whose name he had learned was Laila, against the wall of the small stall they were in, his mouth claiming hers in a hungry kiss. She hadn't taken nearly as long as he thought she would to loosen up, and even less time to get her hot and bothered. She may have complained about men wanting to use her for her looks, but it was equally obvious that if any of the men working in Shinra were attractive men in their mid twenties and not middle aged men with large guts, she would be all over them.

Naruto's hands slid around her hips, lowering until they were gripping onto her ass. He lifted her up, making the blond woman clamp her legs around his waist, her heeled feet digging slightly into his back. Naruto let his hands slid under the woman hiked up skirt, gripping her twin cheeks directly. Applying some chakra in a single rotating pattern on his hands Naruto began to message them, getting a long and sensual moan from the woman. "Ohh... by the Planet... that feels... so good~!"

He felt her grind her crotch against the ever increasing bulge in his pants. He reciprocated her gesture, getting even more incoherent moaning. He could feel her juices beginning to flow, staining his pants and knew that the jutsu he had placed on her earlier was working perfectly, maybe even better then perfectly. In his world even civilians were somewhat resistant to his technique since they had chakra, but it seemed that here it wasn't a problem.

As he began to take off her clothes, his hands slipped into her vest and pulled out a small keycard. He slid it into his back pocket before he finished pulling unhooking Laila's bra.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>It was an hour later that Naruto found himself staring at an almost completely nude Laila, with the only article of clothing she was wearing being her high heeled shoes and stockings. Her eyes were completely glazed over, oblivious to the world. No doubt her mind had suffered a minor overload from the pleasure he had given her.<p>

Jiraiya would have committed Sappuku if he knew how useful the first stage of the Rasengan could be for pleasing a woman.

After he cleaned her up as best he could, Naruto grabbed the dazed woman's clothing and began to carefully redress her, sliding her panties back on, placing her bra over her two large mounds and clipping the hooks together. Next came her shirt, which he buttoned up, followed by her jacket and then her skirt along with the belt.

Carefully, oh so carefully, Naruto repositioned the woman on the toilet to the stall their sexual encounter had taken place in, pulling down her panties and skirt at the same time and making it looked like she had fallen asleep while going to the restroom.

With that done Naruto released his henge and reached into his arm. He watched as he pulled out the gray materia and placed it in his ninja pouch. He rummaged around for a few moments, pulling out onf of the orbs in his pouch and looking at it, before putting it back in until he found the materia he was looking for. Once he did, Naruto placed the materia into his arm and turned his attention to the woman.

"Memorikokān No Jutsu (Memory Replacement Technique)," his left hand glowed a light blue as he softly intoned his technique. He placed his hand on her forehead for several seconds before the glow died down and he removed his hand. Now when she came to, Laila would assume she had simply fallen asleep while going to the restroom and had a very erotic dream.

Switching out his genjutsu materia for his neutral ninjutsu materia, Naruto once again affected his henge, turning himself into a perfect replica of Laila. After checking himself over in the mirror and finding his change acceptable, he made a hasty exit out of the woman's restrooms.

Once again entering the lounge room proper, Naruto took a quick look around. There were only a few people left in the room, which was good since it meant no one would come up to him.

His eyes caught sight of the room on his left, which he knew was the stair way needed to gain access to the higher floor levels. Walking up to it he swiped the card he had gotten from Laila through the card slider, a smile working it's way to his face when the small red light blink over to green and the door slid open without protest.

He walked into the stairwell and took the stairs up to the next floor, the sixty-second floor. According to his information, the Midgar government offices and Shinra research library should be located on this floor.

Walking out of the stairwell Naruto took a quick moment to look around the floor he was now located on. The library was separated into four rooms, each of which was categorized by one area of research conducted by Shinra. On the other side of the library a small office could be seen, no doubt where the Mayor was located.

Naruto walked into the library room closest to him and began walking through the isles, his left index finger lightly touching the many books as he scanned the titles. He stopped at a book labeled, History of Shinra and quickly pulled it off the shelf. Anything he could learn about the company as a whole could only benefit him in the end.

Naruto spent several hours reading up on everything he could, he wasn't too concerned about getting caught, the woman he had put to sleep wouldn't wake up for a while anyways, though on the off chance that she did the blond had already henged himself into a middle aged man with graying hair and a prominent gut.

During his research trip he learned much about the world he was now in.

The Planet he was now on was made up of three unnamed continents: one in the east, one in the west, and one in the north. Other large islands include the Mideel island that was south of the Eastern Continent and part of a long chain of islands, a large forested island located just southwest of the Eastern Continent, and a long island to the west of the Western Continent that is home to Wutai – the ninja people Aerith had told him about.

Most of the world had a temperate climate with large grassy plains broken up by tall mountains. The Icicle Area taking up the entire Northern Continent was made up of a massive plain of ice known as the Great Glacier. At the northern tip of the landmass was a gigantic crater called the North Crater that had a cave inside known as the Norther Cave, which lead deep into the bowels of the Planet. The most prominent desert was in the Western Continent below something called the Gold Saucer. Marshlands can be found in the Eastern Continent in front of the Mythril Mine in the Grasslands Area.

It was very different from his own planet, which he knew was only made up of two very large continents that were several thousands miles away from each other. Those people the Elemental Nations where he had lived, and the Western Lands that very few people ever went to. The two continents rarely contacted each other and trade between the two had been sparse, so very few people from either continent actually knew about the other.

He also learned a lot about Shinra as well.

Shinra was originally a small weapons manufacturer known as the **Shinra Manufacturing Works**. When they discovered how to refine Lifestream into Mako energy and convert it into an electrical energy source, they exploded in power. The company spread power to the entire world, setting up Mako Reactors all around the world, quietly taking over every aspect of The Planet. With their ever-increasing finances, they began expanding into many areas, including space exploration, weapon development, etc. As people became more dependent on Shinra's power and goods, President Shinra, the owner of the company, became a global autocrat.

Starting its own private army, using Mako energy to power the elite SOLDIER class and funding an undercover corps called the Turks, Shinra ruled with an iron fist. They even began performing human experiments to create super soldiers. When the people of Wutai disagreed with setting up Mako Reactors, Shinra sent in their army to overwhelm them and force their influence.

However, the thing that he found the most interesting was the information he had picked up on SOLDIER.

From his reading he had deduced that SOLDIER members were divided into three classes: 1st Class, 2nd Class, and 3rd Class. 1st Class SOLDIERs were responsible for the most important (and usually most dangerous) missions, 2nd and 3rd Classes mostly assist Shinra Troops or 1st Class SOLDIERs or were in charge of less important missions. New units were recruited as 3rd Class and the best of them would later be promoted to 2nd Class, and only distinguished 2nd Class SOLDIERs reached 1st Class.

1st Class SOLDIERs also had many special privileges, as they were allowed to use personal items, clothing, and equipment and were given the right to deny orders, assuming, of course, any responsibilities from their decisions. According to his reading SOLDIERs in and of themselves were considered a Shinra industrial secret, and to prevent this information from leaking outside company walls it was very difficult for SOLDIER members to retire. Even if they were allowed to leave Shinra, the company would constantly monitor their subsequent actions. Even those people who believed they had evaded surveillance, Shinra would eventually find them and watch them for the remainder of their lives, and, in a worst case scenario, the company would have them killed.

According to his readings, members of soldier were humans who underwent some kind of transformation via the Jenova Project, which involved injecting the DNA of a creature called Jenova and Mako into a person when they became a member of SOLDIER.

The more Naruto read the more disgusted he became with Shinra. These people reminded him of the worst villains he had known back on his own world. They were like a combination of Madara, Kabuto, Orochimaru and Tobi. What's worse, was that this was not just one person, but an entire company of people, possibly millions of people, all working for this horrid company.

Unfortunately, while he would love nothing more then to dismantle Shinra piecemeal, Naruto knew that he did not have enough fire power for that. The only thing he could do was protect Aerith and ensure that this company never got their grubby hands on her.

With his mind set, Naruto began making his way out of Shinra headquarters, using a combination of multiple henge and the ability to act as completely natural, as if he had been working for this company his entire life.

Soon enough, the blond found himself walking out of Shinra headquarters with no one being the wiser.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto arrived home around two hours later. After leaving Shinra headquarters he had taken one of the many trains that led to the Wall Market, and then the Sector Five slums where Aerith and her mother lived.<p>

As he walked inside he quietly shut the door and made his way upstairs. As soon as he reached the second floor the blond stopped in his tracks. His face gradually paling. Standing in front of him was an annoyed looking Aerith. She was impatiently tapping her left foot against the ground, her arms were crossed under her modest bust and she had an irate look on her face.

It was clear she had been waiting for him. More then likely she had gone to his room to wake him up, only to find that he had not been there. Naruto had no doubt that his friend and charge had scoured the entire Sector Five Slums and quite possibly several of the Sectors closest to them in her search for him.

"Uh... hey Aerith..." he said, his mind going over possible excuses he could use to get away without dealing with whatever trouble he was in. Unfortunately for him, his mind was unable to come up with anything, busy as it was trying to find out just how this stunning young woman could look so frightening.

"Where have you been?" she asked, the frown on her face increasing. "I woke up this morning and tried to find you only to find out you were gone. I waited for three hours for you!" Naruto, who had been about to open his mouth snapped it closed with a click and winced.

"I was erm... busy," he said evasively. There was no way he would be telling Aerith just what he had been doing for the past ten hours.

Aerith raised an eyebrow. "busy?" The brunette gave him 'the look', one that every female seemed to have mastered down pat. It was the kind of look that said 'if you don't tell me what's going on, you are going to suffer unimaginable pain' or the equivalent to that. It more or less made your instincts scream at you to tell the woman giving you that look everything you've been up to and then some.

Aerith's was a tad different, but no less effective. It wasn't quite the dangerous 'if you don't tell me what you've been up to I'm going to shove a rusty spork up your ass' look. Fortunately for Naruto, the girl in question was far to sweet and kind to give him that look. However, due to the number of life and death situations the blond had faced in his life, the one she was currently giving him was probably even more effective then that one.

The one she had on her face was a slight pout, eyes widened ever so slightly and her lower lip just barely sticking out. It was the kind of look that said 'if you don't tell me what you've been up to I'm going to be extremely hurt and think you don't like me'. Really, the look was just criminal because there was no way Naruto could truly counter it.

"Yes, busy," he nodded his head, wondering what he should tell her. Why was it that he could lie without a problem to just about anyone's face and not even flinch, yet when a pretty girl he knew gave him that look his ability left him?

Both Mei and Sakura had the same ability, and had no trouble abusing it when they had wanted something. Naruto had lost count of the number of times he had spilled his guts to them whenever that look came into play.

As it was, only the knowledge that telling Aerith what he had been up to would do more harm then good kept him from revealing all of his secrets right then and there.

"I was exploring Midgar a bit more," Naruto said eventually, his mind trying to come up with a suitable story that would not be an outright lie. "After those men tried to capture you I felt it would be a good idea if I knew more about the city. That way I can use the terrain to my advantage."

It was a plausible explanation, and somewhat true. During his time in the library he had found a map and used it to memorize much of the city. It just so happened that his exploring had not been done in Midgar itself but in the library located in Shinra headquarters.

"So you left me in this house... to explore to explore the city?" she asked with a pout. "You couldn't have taken me with you? Or at the very least left a note so I wouldn't worry half to death?"

"Well... when you put it like that..."

Naruto felt himself quickly using ground as Aerith continued giving him the look. His shoulders slumped slightly as he began to realize that there would only be a few ways to solve his little dilemma.

"Look, I'll make it up to you somehow," he said. "I'll do whatever you want me to for the rest of the day."

Aerith made Naruto squirm for several more seconds before grinning at him. Walking up to him the brunette smoothly latched onto one of his arms, both of hers sliding around the appendage as she continued walking.

Naruto was forced to follow her as she made her way out of the house.

"Well, there was this one movie on the upper plate that came out a few days ago that I wanted to see."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Fierce winds and snow continued to fall, the winds creating a howl similar to that of an angry beast in the small, abandoned outpost. Were there anyone unlucky enough to get caught in this storm, they surely would perish, frozen over by the intensity of the cold.<p>

Modeoheim, once a Shinra outpost located several miles south of Icicle Inn, not it was nothing more then an abandoned tomb of log cabins and metal constructs. Originally an outpost created when Shinra scientists and engineers gathered to Modeo ravine for Mako extraction and experimentation that they could not afford to let the public see, the entire complex was located in a ravine and fenced off to keep intruders from entering without the people inside knowing about it. Now there was nothing. Just the empty buildings and the freezing cold.

Drake Canic, one of the few first-class SOLDIERs left in the world after the incident with Sepheroth, looked around the abandoned outpost with intense blueish-green Mako enhanced eyes. The wind howled in his ear, snow that he paid no heed to hitting his face. Beside him, six Shinra troopers stood huddled together, shaking from the cold. He looked over at them, then began issuing commands.

"Several officers have been killed in recent months. Shinra Intelligence has reported sightings of an unknown male coming to Icicle Inn from this area, and they think it's him. I want all of you to spread out in pairs, you two," he pointed to the pair further on the left. "Will be Delta squad, you guys are Alpha, and you two are Beta. While your in there I want you to keep your eyes and ears open and your communication device installed at all times. Move out!"

The Shinra Troopers did just them, branching out into pairs of two and splitting off from each group as they moved deeper into the abandoned outpost. Drake waited for several minutes before he pressed a hand to the communication piece in his ear.

"All groups, report in."

"Delta squad, reporting in. We've just reached the Storage warehouse on the western side of the complex, over."

"Alpha squad here. We're coming up on a storage shed next to the near the entrance to the Mako Excavation Mines, over."

"Beta squad. Just now reaching the eastern storage warehouse, over."

"I want Delta and Beta to check out the interior of the warehouses. Beta, you wait until further orders are given, over and out."

Drake received a chorus of affirmatives from his ear piece and returned his hand back to it's normal position. His eyes scanned his surroundings with the observational skills that only someone who had been in a war gain. Having served in the war against Wutai with distinction, Drake was an experienced member of SOLDIER, albeit, he had not been as distinguished as the likes of Sepheroth, Angeal or even Zack. Then again, he also hadn't gotten involved in the Genesis affair that had served to get them all killed either.

Mako infused eyes found themselves looking up at the large structure to the excavation site. Worn down and rusted metal was frozen over with an icy sleet, the paint had long since worn off, making the entire complex look like mother nature had decided to try and get rid of it with it's frozen winds.

As he walked further into the outpost, he stopped. Drakes eyes shot towards the roof of the eastern warehouse, a frown crossing his face. After a second or two of hard staring, he shook his head and brought it back down to ground level.

He could have sworn he just saw someone.

Deciding to check in on his troops, Drake raised a hand back to his ear-piece. "Have you found anything? Over."

"This is Alpha. There's no movement near the excavation site, over."

"Beta. The warehouse is completely empty, save for some frozen over machinery, over."

"Delta squad. Same here – no – wait. I see movement! Yes it's – what hell!"

Alarmed, Drake began barking commands. "What is it! What do you see! Report!"

"It's a man! He's – fuck – he's running along the ceiling! How the fuck is here doing that! Oh shit! He just got Jansen! He just sliced his fucking head off with a single swing! I can't –"

Just then, a loud explosion took place over where Delta squad was reported to be. Drakes eyes turned, widening as they caught sight of the large gout of flame that spread across the sky, forming a basic mushroom cloud of fire and smoke. The hand on his ear-piece was increasing it's pressure on the device.

"Delta! Get out of there now! I repeat! Retreat and regroup with Alpha!"

"..."

"Delta!"

Static.

Drake took a moment to swear before giving commands to the rest of his unit. "Alpha squad, I want you to remain in position. Huddle down and try not to be seen. Beta, I'm heading over to the warehouse where we lost Delta. I want you to head over there as well. Over and out."

He didn't wait for the two squads to reply as he ran towards the western warehouse, his hand gripping the standard longsword strapped to his back. Drake jogged through the snow at a pace that few humans could match in the current weather conditions, heavy footprints were left when he moved, only to be covered up soon after by more snowfall. Soon enough, he turned the corner that would give him a direct line of sight to the building of Delta's last known coordinates.

"Holy... fuck..."

And promptly stood stalk still, his mind reeling shock.

The entire front wall of the warehouse, and at least one third of the roof was gone. The singe marks, molten metal and steam rising from the structure letting him know that whatever attack had been launched here had been powerful. It looked like someone had used a Firaga attack, or possibly even Flare.

And there, lying on the ground a few feet away from Drake, was one of his troops. Most of the man's clothing had been burnt off, the armor plating he wore melted beyond recognition as the now red liquid burned a hole directly through his skin. His flesh was covered in third degree burns, with half of his face melted away, his right arm missing with the wound cauterized and a large portion of his torso was nothing more then an amalgamation of melted flesh.

While Drake walked towards the trooper, one of the soldiers behind him turned green under his helmet, while the other threw up what was left of his lunch, staining the white snow. Drake knelt down, looking over the clearly dead soldier. Despite feeling a surge of anger rise in him at seeing one of his troops killed in such a brutal way, he fought it down and tried to study the attack from an objective stand point.

The magic, for it was clearly that and not some sort of explosive, used was impressive. Even more so then usual, since Drake could see that his soldier had been hit indirectly with the attack, rather then head on. While he could not say for sure as he had not seen the spell used up close, he was certain that if whatever spell had managed to actually hit him, rather then him getting hit by mere backlash, the attack would have disintegrated his body.

Looking into the warehouse and finding it empty, save for the headless remains of his other troop, Drake stood up and placed a hand on his ear-piece.

"Alpha squad. Has there been any movement near your position? Over."

"..."

Static.

"You two, follow me!" Drake ordered. Startled, two members of Beta squad made to follow him as the SOLDIER first-class stocked away. They might have actually considered running, since it looked like they were heading towards the danger, but considering they were with a member of SOLDIER, felt it was probably safer then if they tried to run.

When Drake got to the excavation sites entrance, he immediately found one of the members of Alpha squad.

His remains, anyways.

The man appeared to have been killed with a projectile weapon of some kind. Kneeling down, Drake reached out and plucked the shiny metal object that had been lodged in the troopers neck.

It looked like a four-pointed star. The weapon glinted and shined in the cold day, reflecting the hail of snow and Drakes own scarred face on it's polished surface.

He recognized the weapon. How could he not. Drake had fought in the war with Wutai, had tangled with the Wutaian forces that had specialized in stealth and assassination. The so called 'ninja'. This weapon, otherwise known as a shuriken, had been one of their preferred long-range projectiles.

But what could this mean? Was this person, who had just slaughtered his troops with impunity one of Wutai's ninja? A rogue ninja out for revenge?

How could that be? And why now? The war against Wutai had ended over four years ago.

Whatever the case was, Drake knew he would not get any answers by just standing there. Looking around for the last member of Alpha squad, Drake could not find him. He did, however, spot a trail of blood on the ground, leading inside the excavation site.

A trap? There was only one way to find out.

"It looks like we're the last ones left alive," Drake began, standing back up and directing his attention to his two remaining troops. He pointed to the one on the left, "I want you to head out of this outpost. Set up long range communications and relay what we've found back to Headquarters. You, are going to be going with me. It looks like this man might be a Wutai soldier with a grudge, so we'll need be cautious. Now, let's move."

The two remaining troops did as told. The one nearest Drake moving with him as he entered the excavation mine, while the other ran towards the exit of the base. As their vision became seeped in darkness, Drake cast and maintained a basic fire spell using the materia located in his sword. The bright flame hovered above his hand and lit the path before him and his troop as they moved deeper into the tunnel.

The ground was slippery, frosted over with ice, making it difficult to keep ones balance. Several times the trooper nearly fell over as he attempted to keep up with Drake, whose long, powerful strides helped him keep his balance.

They soon reached the interior of the mine shaft. It was a large pathway that lead further into the depths of the planet. Large metal pipes protruded from the walls, turning and moving downwards they followed the tunnel deeper into the planet. In the center of the mineshaft, a large metal structure stood, a drill of massive proportions that went down so far it was impossible to see the end of it. Rusted over steel girders were all that kept people from falling into the dark, murky chasm.

In the center of the room was the last officer. As Drake stood over the body, he noted the wide, frightened eyes of the man. His mouth was open in shock, frozen there as if by the cold. Iced over blood dribbled from the sides of his mouth, and slit-like hole was pierced straight through his neck, likely by some kind of sword weapon. A Katana of some kind. Maybe.

Turning his attention back towards finding the culprit who killed his men, Drake moved on, warily, one hand on his sword and his eyes scanning every inch of the platform as he began his descend, using the stairs over to his left. Behind him, the Shinra trooper held his automatic rifle in an unsteady, shaking grip. Soon enough, they had reached the end, a basic elevator led further down into the depths below.

Drake slid the metal fence open, steel groaning from the sudden use. He walked in and turned to look at his troop, gesturing for him. The man gulped, but nodded and did as told, walking into the elevator with him. Pressing the button on the side, Drake watched as the fence closed with a grating shriek. Then the elevator began to move.

They descended, the walls passing by in a blur. Drake began taking several deep, steadying breaths, preparing for what was likely to be a bloody confrontation. When he found his center, he turned to look at his last troop.

"I want you to remain several feet behind me. I'll draw our enemy out, and your going to unload everything you have on him. Understood?"

"Sir!" The troop, though frightened, took heart in his captains confidence and steadfastness. Snapping to attention he gave the First-class SOLDIER a quick salute.

The elevator stopped. Drake and the Shinra trooper exited the small compartment, entering the larger, blackened room before them. It was almost impossible to tell how large the room was, most of the lights had long since stopped working, leaving large gaps of pure black in many areas. Drake raised a hand to the sword on his back, he knew he would need to be cautious.

A strange sound reached his ears. A whistling sound like that of a thousand birds chirping. Drakes eyes widened as several hundred blue lights descended towards him. He didn't know what they were, but instinct told him that he did not want to get hit by them. He rolled out of the way, dodging them by a good margin.

The trooper with him wasn't so lucky. Nearly a dozen of the blue lights had pierced his body, sticking out in various places as blue lightning coursed over him. Spasming, the Shinra troop fell to the ground, his shaking becoming more and more erratic and violent until he suddenly stopped, dead.

Drake could see the strange blue lights more clearly, now that they were closer. It looked like someone had taken the thunder spell, super-charged it, then condensed it into hundreds of miniature needles. Which should be impossible of course. No one, not even the great Sepheroth himself had been able to modify materia magic, and no one could use magic without materia.

So just what kind of magic was this?

Instincts kicked in again, and Drake rolled across the ground just in time to dodge the swipe of a katana, coated in blue electricity. It sliced through the floor with impunity, cutting apart the metal grating where he had been standing seconds prior.

Drake rose to his feet, pulling his sword free and moving into a ready stance. Only then did he get a good look at his opponent. It was man. He was tall, with messy black hair, pale skin and crimson eyes with an odd pattern he had never seen before. He wore a white shirt, opened all the way to his stomach to reveal no armour of any kind, a pair of black trousers, sandals on his feet and a purple bow tied around his waist, a sash maybe.

"You don't look like any Wutai I've ever seen," Drake said, narrowing his eyes.

The man did not reply, instead choosing to charge forward. Drake prepared to defend himself as the man came ever closer, raising his blade to guard when the katana the strange red eyed man possessed slashed down.

Normally, such an attack would have been easily blocked, then Drake could have used his Mako enhanced strength to throw the man off balance and finish him with a killing blow.

Normally, this battle would not have ended so quickly.

Drake became shocked when blue lightning sparks along the man's katana. It sliced through his blade like a hot knife through butter, the metal super heating and melting in seconds before the larger tip fell to the floor with a clatter. Drake was so surprised that he hesitated for a split second.

That split second cost him.

It was only instincts that made him attempt to jump backwards when the strange man slashed at him again. However, he had been to slow in reacting and the man too fast. The slash not only carved a deep gash across his chest plate, the lightning melted through the armor and cut deeply into his flesh, as well as sending thousands of volts of electricity through his nerves.

Drake fell to his knees, lightning coursing over his body in erratic sparks. He found himself unable to move, and the last thing he saw was a pair of demonic red eyes, three tomoe spinning around hypnotically in each, before a katana descended and sliced his head clean off.

* * *

><p><strong>A few people have been asking about the restrictions I've placed on Naruto's abilities, and whether or not he still had certain ones, like his chakra manipulation, Summoning, and Kurama. I want to assure all of you that these questions will be answered in the story, as they are important to it's development. However, I won't tell you right now because if I did, it would ruin the story.<strong>


	4. A1 C4: Life Moves On

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arc 1: Enter the Sennin**

**Chapter 4: Life Moves On**

* * *

><p>Four months. It had been four months since Naruto had found in himself on Gaia. In all truths, not much had changed for him during that time. His life had, for the most part, been relatively peaceful, especially when compared to the previous one he had in the Elemental Nations.<p>

He now had two jobs, sort of. While Naruto was not really a mercenary, nor had he advertised himself as a ninja, he did take several odd jobs that people had for him. Most of the time this would consist of supply runs, manual labor, sending messages to sectors on the other side of Midgar, and the occasional monster hunt. Usually, he would only take on maybe three of four jobs a month, since he steadfastly refused to leave Aerith alone when she left her house.

The other job he had was not so much of a job, but it did give him far more money then his 'mercenary' job did.

Through out the months on Gaia, Naruto had managed to make several contacts and friends in high places. His spy network, while not as extensive as Jiraiya's, was good enough to keep an eye on Shinra and get him some amenities.

A good example of this would be the fake ID and Passport he managed to have forged for himself. The identification and Passport cards were, in fact, real, and had the Shinra stamp of approval. However, most of the information they contained about him was falsified. The only pieces of information on him that was not false, was his name, and even then he used Naruto Namikaze, instead of his usual Naruto Uzumaki.

Surprisingly enough, the ID and Passport came from Laila, who he had found out worked in human resources for Shinra.

Thanks to the ID Naruto had been able to move around much more freely. Not to say that he had been restricted in any way, but without an ID it was impossible to get into any of the clubs and bars that littered the upper plate of Midgar, which, just like the bars in his own homeland, were prime sources of information.

It was also thanks to his ID that he had been able to find a publisher and release his godfather's novels into the world of Gaia. While he had not originally planned on doing it, Naruto had realized rather quickly that the perverted novels would be the easiest and most efficient way to rake in more income.

And he was right. Almost a month after the first novel – Icha Icha Paradise – was released, Naruto had made somewhere around 356,000 gil. It was a lot of money, especially when compared to what people in the slums usually made. In fact, he even made more money then most Shinra employees, with only exceptions being people like President Shinra, Scarlet, Heidegger, Hojo, Palmer, Reeves and Tseng of the Turks making more money then he did.

Another thing he had learned more about was the many different people in Shinra and the branches they worked for. His main focus on who he wanted to learn about of course, had been the Turks.

The Turks was simply the unofficial nickname of the Investigation Sector of the General Affairs Department of the Shinra Electric Power Company. They worked inside the Department of Public Safety under Heidegger of Public Safety, ie the Military.

The Turks acted similarly to an intelligence agency or investigative bureau, engaging in reconnaissance and espionage, or even black ops, including kidnappings and assassinations, on behalf of the corporation. The reputation of the Turks was that they were consummate professionals, adhering to the mission no matter what. Even if it meant killing their own family, they would still complete the job.

Due to the nature of their job, members of the Turks were privy to numerous company secrets and as such become security risks should they leave the company. This resulted in the reality that Turk members can only freely leave the company in a body bag.

If Naruto had to come up with a comparison to the Turks from his home land, he would have to say that they were very similar to the ANBU. There were some differences of course, like their uniforms. Where the ANBU wore porcelain animal masks in order to distinguish themselves from normal shinobi and to conceal their identities. As well as having a standard uniform consisting of black and grey armour, metal arm guards and gloves, ninja sandals with spikes for traveling into mountainous regions, three ninja pouches on their back-waist and a signature spiral tattoo on their shoulder.

The Turks on the other hand could be distinguished by their unisex business suit with matching tie, white undershirt and shoes. There were some discrepancies in dress code that he had noticed among them; a good example being the man he called Red – namely because he still hadn't gotten the guys name – always wore the jacket of his business suit unbuttoned and the white undershirt untucked, giving him a lazy and sloppy demeanor. On the other hand, the man known as Rude kept his uniform completely buttoned and it always had sharp creases that made it look like he had taken it to the dry cleaners every day. However, no matter what personal touches they added to their uniform, it was always easy to spot a Turk.

He and Aerith had actually had several run ins with the group on several occasions within the passed several months. It seemed that they had decided to restart their 'kidnapping attempts' on Aerith. At least once or twice a month, one of the Turks and a group of soldiers would make an attempt at following them whenever the two were spotted on the upper plate, since it was easier to follow them there, then in the slums where Aerith held the home field advantage.

Of course, the group had not had any luck when it actually came to catching Aerith. Not only was the girl slippery when she wanted to be, but she had Naruto with her. A man who was not only a talented ninja, but also an accomplished prankster.

It had been the prankster in him that had kept the many attempts by Shinra at kidnapping the young woman from actually working. Naruto had more or less made it his life goal to drive the people after Aerith absolutely mad by pranking the hell out of them whenever he had a chance.

So far, the pranks Naruto had committed upon the Turks when they had tried to capture Aerith had been: attacking them with foul smelling water balloons that had been filled with noxious liquids and tear gas; creating a pitfall trap that had been filled with pheromones – that had been a funny one since it had caused every stray dog in Midgar to sniff them out and try to rape their legs; using a pair of clones to snipe them with special paintball guns from the rooftops – this had been another good one since the paintballs had actually been an acidic substance that had left the Turks and Shinra troops bereft of their clothes and they had been forced to walk back to Shinra headquarters as bare as the day they had been born. Due to the sheer number of times they had been pranked, along with just how humiliating these pranks were, the Turks were no longer quite as feared as they once were by the lesser population of Midgar.

Yes, it was not a good time to be a Turk.

The Turks had not been the only people to get their asses pranked. Naruto had made several special trips to Shinra headquarters and pranked several of the higher ups.

The main object of his pranks had been none other then doctor Hojo, mad scientist extraordinaire and the man who had experimented on Aerith and her real mother before they had managed to escape from Shinra. It had been a lot more difficult to prank that man then it had the Turks, and Naruto had never actually seen the man himself – which had been the only reason he hadn't killed Hojo – mainly because his laboratory was so damn secure. Even with his henge, actually getting into the lab had been next to impossible. It was only thanks to his skills in stealth that the blond had managed it twice.

His favorite prank had been when he had snuck into the mans lab and completely messed with all of his experiments. He had switched out several of the chemicals the man used to inject into the monsters he tried to make with harmless chemicals like water and sugar with food coloring in it. Not only had he done that, Naruto had also let out several of the monsters that Hojo had been trying to create and let them run loose within the lab. The beasties had managed to create quite a ruckus and had caused mass amounts of property damage before they were subdued.

Hojo had been not pleased when he had lost several of his best experiments.

Shinra had since tightened up their security. Not that it did much good, since Naruto could just use henge to become anybody he wanted.

Other then his pranking vendetta against Shinra, not much else had happened. Naruto had developed a routine; he would wake up early, usually two or three hours before Aerith, he would spend that time exercising and sparring with one or two kage bunshin, then he would take a shower and cook breakfast – much to Elmyra's consternation, though she had started getting used to it. After breakfast he and Aerith would take off, sometimes they would go to the church where the flowers the pretty brunette would sell were, and they would spend the day grooming and watering the flowers. Other times they would go to the upper plate and Aerith would sell the flowers they had grown. Even if it was no longer needed with the high income Naruto often got from selling his godfather's book.

Normally, they would stay in their respective spot for that day for a few hours, then Naruto would take Aerith to lunch. If they were in the church, then the pair would usually go back home for lunch. Sometimes Elmyra would cook something for them, and other times Naruto would cook for them. Aerith had tried once but the results had been disastrous and both Naruto and Elmyra had told the girl she was never cooking again, much to her embarrassment.

When they were on upper plate Naruto would usually take her out to eat. While the blond still didn't like the look of Midgar, even the upper plate which he complained was so covered in smog and pollution that it was impossible to see the sky, he had to admit that they did have a wide selection of nice places to eat; restaurants, cafes, bakeries and various other eateries that all held a wide variety of food littered much of the upper plate of Midgar.

After lunch Aerith would get back to selling her flowers while Naruto watched her and kept an eye out for Shinra goons. Sometimes they would have a run in with the Turks, and sometimes they wouldn't. More often then not, one of the clones Naruto had watching the two of them from the rooftops would spot Shinra long before they even got to Aerith and his position.

They would also subsequently get pranked by said clones long before they even came within several meters of Naruto and Aerith.

At the end of the day the pair would take the train back home, where Elmyra would already have dinner on the table.

It was fairly routine, something that had always bothered Naruto due to how monotonous such acts were. No matter the day and age, the blond had always been a man of action. When he was younger and still living at the orphanage, he would often sneak out and take strolls around town, or just cause trouble for the matron and other people who worked there. They had never liked him, partly because of his hyperactive demeanor, but Naruto was sure they had disliked him before that. Since before he had started playing his pranks, the matron and others there had done their very best to ignore him.

After Naruto had been kicked out at the tender age of six, found by Hiruzen Sarutobi, and given an apartment in one of the less expensive districts and subsequently gotten signed up for the shinobi academy, his pranking career had begun in earnest.

It hadn't been long after coming to the academy, with high hopes and expectations of learning how to be the best ninja he could, that he was met with disappointment. Aside from the fact that all of the teachers had hated him, and had done their utmost to ignore the blond whenever he had tried to ask a question he about something he didn't understand, or elaborate in a way that he could follow. Hey, it wasn't his fault the lectures they had given were extremely boring. Not only in the content given, but in the way the chunin instructors spoke, using that droning, monotone voice that made it difficult, if not impossible, to pay attention.

Being ignored and unable to learn from the lectures, Naruto had begun his time at the shinobi academy as a class clone; playing pranks, acting out and just generally making a fool of himself. His act had been done with a two-fold reasoning on his part. The first was that if the teachers were going to ignore and pretend he didn't exist, then Naruto was going to give them every reason _not _to ignore him. And the second was that, well, the teachers were quite simply boring. As far as he was concerned, the people in class should have been thanking him for breaking up the monotonous days with something new and exciting every day.

This inability to sit still and continue going through the motions applied just as much here as did back in the Elemental Nations, though not quite to the same degree. After all, war changed people, forced them to grow up if they didn't want to die, and Naruto, who before the Fourth Great Shinobi War had broken out been a naïve and in many ways, stupid genin, had grown more then anybody else. In abilities, maturity, and bitterness.

Losing loved ones often tended to cause many negative emotions and resentment in people.

"Naruto... hellooo... Naruto..."

At the sound of the familiar voice, Naruto snapped his head up, startled from his inner thoughts, and found himself staring into the amused and exasperated green eyes of Aerith. The blond leaned back slightly as he realized that the girl was uncomfortably close to him, their noses almost touching and invading his private space.

Really, he must be getting rusty for this girl, who had no shinobi training as far as he knew, to be capable of entering his personal space without alerting him.

"Um... yes, Aerith?" he asked, taking a small step back as she took one forward.

Shaking her head with an amused smile on her face, Aerith rolled her eyes and placed her hands on her hips, a stance she often took when Naruto got all introspective.

"You were spacing out again," she said plaintively. The timber and pitch of her tone, signaling her exasperation and slight annoyance mixed with a tinge of amusement, was a clear indication that this was not the first time she had caught him like this. Indeed, Aerith had been forced to break Naruto out of his own, personal world many times in the past few months. She didn't know what he was thinking about, but it was clear that it must be important to him, given that when he was not lost in thought, the blond was abnormally perceptive of his surroundings.

Ie, she was only able to sneak up on Naruto like that when he was lost in thought.

"Eh he he, sorry," Naruto placed a hand behind his head, scratching the back of his neck as a sheepish smile took over his face. Aerith just sighed, shaking her head again before leaning down to grab his left hand in both of hers. She soon began pulling him across the Sector Five Slums, towards the church that they spent so much time at.

"Right, right, now come on, I want to grab some more flowers before we get started today," she said in a patient and humoring tone. As Naruto started to walk with her, Aerith turned her head, presenting the blond with a profile of her face as she smiled at him. "I can't have my bodyguard spacing out on me, now can I?"

Naruto rolled his eyes slightly at his title – which she had taken to calling him during situations much like this one – but responded in the manner he had every time this happened. "Hai, hai, I shall do my utmost to protect you, hime-sama."

Aerith giggled at the odd phrases that he mixed in with his language. "Are you sure your not from Wutai?"

Another eye roll was her response.

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>"Hello, sir. Would you like to buy some flowers today?"<p>

"Good afternoon, ma'am. Would you like some flowers? There only one gil."

"Thank you!"

Aerith walked to and fro along the street she and Naruto had decided to go to so she could sell her flowers that day. While her blond companion had somehow ended up making a lot more money then her – something that made her pout, not only because he had brought home over 300,000 gil in a single day, but also because he wouldn't tell her how he had made so much money – this was something that she had always enjoyed doing. It was her hope that one day she would be able to fill all of Midgar with flowers.

She smiled as she thought of her dream, the small upturn to her lips enhancing her already impressive physical appeal by making her seem even more radiant then usual. Aerith didn't even notice that her smile was attracting more customers who bought her flowers.

Instead her thoughts were turned inward, towards the blond male who was silently standing just a few feet away, casually leaning against the wall as he kept an eye on her.

Naruto had done quite a bit to help her in the months since he had come to Gaia. Not just protecting her from the Turks and doing household chores for her mom, but also helped her come to terms with many aspects about herself that she had been trying to hide since she was a child. What made her smile shine all the more brightly was the knowledge that the young blond didn't even realize how much he had helped her.

Even her mom had commented on the difference in Aerith, stating that she had an extra 'glow' about her. It was a statement that had caused no end of blushing for the pretty brunette, which had only gotten worse when Naruto had asked her if she had a fever, then placed his forehead against hers when she had begun to stutter out several attempts at claiming that nothing was wrong.

He had earned a reflexive head butt for that when Aerith's embarrassment had reached it's peak. She was also sure that he had done that on purpose, knowing the effects it had on her, if one were to judge the small smirk that had possessed his face.

She still had yet to get him back for that.

While Aerith let her thoughts on Naruto subconsciously increase her customer count, said blond looked up to where one of his clones was standing on a building adjacent from his position. From the kage bunshin's eyes he could see a pair of Turks coming towards their general vicinity. Smiling, he gave the clone who had first spotted the pair, along with the other clone he had hiding in an alley a few meters away from them orders.

It was time to go to work.

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Cissnei was generally a very quiet person, often times people perceived her silent demeanor as her being rather cold, but in truth she just preferred focusing on her goals when on the job. The fact that she didn't really see much of her colleagues outside of work due to her reserve and poise, often using it to keep the people she worked with to arms length didn't help with her image.<p>

At least she had been, before meeting _him_.

Ever since _he_ had come into her life Cissnei had changed. Many of her colleagues thought it was for the better, claiming she was a much warmer person then before. And it was true. Even though she still kept most of her coworkers at arms length so they could remain professional while working together, she was not above helping out those who worked under her. Being a woman of both strong mind and body, Cissnei had taken it upon herself to look after the other Turks, especially the junior members.

Wearing the unflattering Black business suit with a black tie, white undershirt and black boots that were the standard uniform of the Turks hid her lithe figure. Though even with the people around her having never seen Cissnei out of her uniform, it had not stopped many of her co-workers from talking about her, often times imagining what she looked like under her suit.

This was likely because – in the words of Reno – she had the face of an angel. A slightly heart shaped face that held a youthful appearance, with flawless, lightly tanned skin, light brown eyes and reddish brown hair that ran down to just below her shoulders in messy curls. Often times when people – Reno – described her face, the words cute, angelic and adorable often came to mind.

Consequently, every time the red-haired senior member had given her a compliment of that nature he would usually find himself on the receiving end of her shuriken. No one, not even Tseng, the leader of the Turks, was allowed to give her compliments on anything but her performance.

She had only ever let one man compliment her like that, and _he _had gone missing just a little over two years ago.

Sighing as she walked down the road, she looked over at her partner.

"Confirmation on the targets location."

It was time to go to work.

Her partner, a man known simply as Katana, looked over at her and replied, "five streets down, central. According to the report we got an hour ago she is currently selling flowers."

"What about the guy she's been with recently?"

"He's there too," Katana replied. "Though he was also supposed to be near her all the other times as well. And we know how those incidents played out."

Cissnei frowned, but nodded nonetheless. Ever since the as-of-yet unnamed blond had appeared, keeping track of, and trying to capture the ancient had become exceedingly difficult, with the man playing several crude, yet highly effective pranks on the Turks to keep them from coming near their target.

While Cissnei would never admit it out loud, she had found several of the pranks to be quite funny. Her favorite had been when Reno and Rude had once again been sent out to capture the ancient, and returned in an utterly humiliating position.

She did not know how, and the two would not say, but somehow, both Reno and Rude had been stripped of their clothing and super glued together in a very compromising position with some kind of rubber cement. To top it off, the pair had looked like they slept in poison ivy for they had rashes all over their bodies. It had been disgusting to look at, but for some reason or another Cissnei had found what happened to them utterly hilarious. It had been all she could do not to laugh at the pair.

Of course, the failure of her colleagues to capture the ancient was why she was here now.

It had been a rather hasty decision made by her superiors. After Reno's and Rude's first failed attempt at abducting the ancient, President Shinra had halted operations on trying to capture the girl for a few months while the intelligence division worked on acquiring as much information about this mysterious new bodyguard as they could. However, when all of their searches turned out were several dead ends and no knowledge on the man, the President once again grew impatient and began ordering the Turks out to capture the girl again.

They had also been given orders to capture the blond, if at all possible. Doctor Hojo seemed to have picked up an interest in the man as they learned more about his abilities. It was obvious why the 'good doctor' would want this man captured. His magic was far different then anything the Turks had ever seen. So far he had showed not only the ability to make solid copies, but he could also walk up walls. No doubt the man would try to understand how this feat could be replicated by experimenting on the blond. _If _he could get his hands on the still unnamed man, that is.

So far, all of their attempts had ended in obvious failure.

As these thoughts passed through her mind, the sound of gunshots rang out around her.

Acting on instincts, Cissnei moved quickly, running towards the nearest alley in a zigzagging pattern to dodge any bullets that might be coming her way.

She made it to the alleyway in record time, pressing herself against the wall as she pulled out her compact-able shuriken. With a flick of her wrist the red and black shuriken opened up, spreading out to it's full eight inch length. Her weapon now ready, Cissnei eyed the area to see where the attack had come from.

As her eyes roamed the street, she realized that her partner was no longer with her. Looking into the street where her previous position had been she saw a decently sized hole in the ground. It honestly wasn't much of a hole so much as it was small pitfall. The overall size may have been larger, about two meters in diameter, but it was only about waist deep.

However, it had been more then effective at capturing her partner, who was stuck in the hole with some kind of gooey liquid – likely rubber cement – holding him in place.

To top it off the man had been shot with the acidic bullets that destroyed only clothing. His shirt already had several holes in it, with red, slightly burned skin being shown in those places.

Witnessing the prank up close – as well as actually being the one the prank was being played upon – Cissnei was unsure whether to laugh at her friends predicament, curse at her own, or compliment the person who was doing this for their inventiveness and ingenuity. The mere fact that their attacker not only managed to think this up on the fly -as there was no way he could have known they would be coming after him - but also know which route they were going to use, was impressive.

She decided on none of those options, figuring she would always have the opportunity to choose which one she wished to commit to later, after the current situation was resolved.

Moving closer to the corner of her alley, Cissnei stopped right when she was near the edge. Slowly, carefully she peaked her head out from around the corner to see if she couldn't spot her attacker...

Only to be forced to duck her head back in when a bullet strayed to close to her face. Still, despite the bare second that she had managed to stick look into the street beyond, she was sure she had spotted her attacker as a small black and yellow dot on a roof about a kilometer from her position. She would need to gain confirmation that the figure she had seen, was in fact, the person she had been told about. After that, she could create a plan for dealing with him.

It was as she was thinking these thoughts, that the same blond she had spotted on the roof also appeared behind her, turning around the corner and into her alley from a roadway adjacent to the one she had been on.

To be more accurate it was, much like the one on the roof, a mere copy of the original.

This kage bunshin silently made his way towards the woman, the skills it displayed in stealth were of the kind that only the most highly regarded shinobi possessed.

Despite how silent he was, however, the woman seemed to have sensed him closing in her on, for she spun around to face him, moving into a defensive stance at the same time.

She faltered for a second, her eyes widening in surprise and recognition(?) when she saw him. It only lasted for a second, but it was enough to make Naruto raise an eyebrow before the fight began in earnest.

Cissnei, shaking herself out of her shock, quickly brought herself back into her groove and tossed the shuriken at the blond man who closely resembled someone she had once known. She watched as the man tilted his body to side, letting the large bladed throwing weapon sail passed him with barely a centimeter to spare. It was an impressive display that followed the fighting style of 'least amount of movement to accomplish maximum potential' some of the more renowned members of SOLDIER had used.

After the shuriken passed him, the blond began moving back towards her, starting off in a slow walk before picking up into a jog, then a run. Cissnei quickly back pedaled, he was fast, but it was nothing she couldn't keep up with. Having several close-range fighters in the Turks that she trained and sparred with had given her some experience in fighting people who used close-range tactics.

She made sure to keep out of his reach as much as possible, not wanting him to get acutually get close enough to her that she had to rely on dodging his attacks. According to the reports of Rude and Reno, the only two who faced off against this man in hand-to-hand combat, the blond was extremely talented in the art of close-range fighting, capable of defeating both of them at the same time.

Cissnei had no desire to let someone who could accomplish that feat in close.

Instead she waited, a smirk reaching her face when the slight whistling noise of her shuriken coming back towards them reached her ears. This was one of the key tactics she normally used when fighting against an opponent who relied on hand-to-hand combat. Tossing her weapon and allowing them to dodge, they would come in close, focusing all of their attention on her when 'BAM!' they were hit from behind and impaled upon her shuriken.

Unfortunately for Cissnei, that wasn't what happened here.

The young woman watched, eyes widening as the blond suddenly stopped attacking her, spun on a dime while simultaneously sidestepping to the left. As he continued his spin her shuriken flew by him, and in a feat that showed lightning quick reflexes and perfect hand-to-eye coordination, the blond's left hand flashed out in a blur and managed to snatch her shuriken out of the air, his hand latching onto one of the handles on one of the four razor points that were protruding from the spoke.

Never in her life had this ever happened before, while she was sure that others were capable of such a feat, having it actually happen was a shock.

She watched on helplessly as the blond brought the weapon up to his face and examined it with a critical eye. After a few seconds he looked at her and smiled.

"This is a pretty neat weapon," he said in a surprisingly bright and cheerful voice. He spoke as if they were just a couple friends out for a drink, and she had not just tried to kill him with the very weapon he was now holding in his hand. "What kind of shuriken is this?"

Cissnei frowned as she tried to determine the best course of action. Deciding to stall for time she answered him. "It's called a Rekka."

"Rekka, huh." The blond looked from her to the weapon. "This is nothing like the shuriken I use."

"You use shuriken?" Despite using this as a stalling tactic, she would admit to being curious. It also helped that she was essentially figuring out more information on their enemy then they had previously.

"Oh yeah," the blond nodded his head. "I use much smaller shuriken as one of the weapons in my long-range arsenal. They're about the size of my palm, give or take a few centimeters."

While the blond was speaking, Cissnei took the opportunity to discreetly hide her hands behind her back, pulling out a small tracking device from her back pocket and activating it to alert her comrades of her predicament. With luck, she would keep him talking until back up arrived, then she could apprehend or get rid of him.

"Anyways..." the blond continued in a nonchalant voice. "I think it's about time we end this, don't you?"

Cissnei cursed as he threw the shuriken had her, having hoped to ask him more questions. Still, she didn't let her disappointment at a missed opportunity to learn more about the mysterious blond hamper her as she acted.

In a move that was similar to the one the blond himself had pulled just a few seconds prior, Cissnei sidestepped her weapon and snatched it out of the air.

Only for the weapon to disappear in a puff of smoke, surprising her, then for several chords of some type of metal wire to wrap around her body, surprising her even more. The wire quickly went all the way around her body, encasing her arms starting just below her shoulders, then moving down in a spiral, binding her the rest of her arms and then her legs together.

She was so surprised by what had happened – and her mind was so busy trying to figure out where her shuriken went – that she not only missed seeing Naruto holding onto the end of the ninja wire, but also him yanking on it.

With a surprised yelp, Cissnei's arms and legs were pulled together. With the sudden combining of her feet, the young Turk lost her balance and quickly began to fall over.

She was, oddly enough, caught by the very blond who had placed her in this predicament. He gently set her down on her back, being surprisingly gentle to ensure she didn't smack her head on the concrete.

Cissnei looked at the man, not only surprise but a hint of embarrassment on her face, as evidenced by the very slight blush that stained her cheeks.

The blond seemed to notice this because he grinned, before saying, "sorry to cut this short, but I don't want to be here when your friends come by to pick you up."

He moved back into a standing position, taking several steps back, even as the smile never left his face. The blond reached out behind his back - and much to her surprise - pulled out her Rekka from wherever he had hidden it. He stabbed it on the ground, his eyes never leaving her face as he observed her.

"You know, now that we're not fighting I can't help but notice your pretty cute."

Cissnei blushed, not just at the compliment but at the fact that this man actually gave her one. It didn't help her that the cheerful grin he had on his face reminded her of _that _man.

The blond, either unaware of – or more likely completely aware of and just feigning ignorance – the effect his words had on her, continued. "If you weren't a member of the Turks, or working for Shinra in general, I would probably have asked you out on a date by now. Alas," here the blond brought a hand to his forehead and adopted a 'woe is me' expression. "I fear it can never be."

Cissnei wasn't sure how to feel about this strange blond, who reminded her so much of _him_ that it was almost scary. Amused by his act, upset that she had been beaten so handily, embarrassed by the fact that he had been hitting on her, or pained by just how much he reminded her of the dear friend that had disappeared on her two years ago.

Whatever her feelings were, she would not get the chance to sort them out quite yet, as the blond gave her a sweeping bow and, in a teasing voice, said. "I suspect that we'll meet again in the near future. Until then, farewell."

With that he disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving blushing Cissnei to contemplate all she had seen and learned about this new and mysterious blond. Yet, even as she tried to sort out her feelings, as well as contemplate what she had learned, her mind registered with a start that she had never even learned his name.

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Naruto gave a mild chuckle as his two clones dispelled, leaving a blushing girl and a half naked man stuck in rubber cement in their wake. He only wished that he had been there with a camera so he could take pictures for his own amusement... and the amusement of others when he posted said pictures across Midgar.<p>

Oh well, if things kept up as they had been then he would have plenty of opportunities to do snap a couple of photos.

The blond shinobi took a quick moment to think of how his life had turned out. While he was still sad, and keenly felt the loss of his loved ones to the Fourth Great Shinobi War, he had been feeling much better as the months passed by. The wound in his heart still ached, but rather then the gaping wound that still bled, it was the old scar that had healed and left it's mark. He would never forget the precious people he had lost, but he no longer felt as weighed down by that loss as he once had.

He knew that it was thanks to Aerith that his heart had healed. Without her support and cheerful, outgoing demeanor, Naruto would have been lost and unable to cope in this new world. It was a debt that he would never be able to repay, and something he would always feel gratitude towards the pretty brunette for.

His eyes strayed over to the young woman as she finished selling the last of her flowers. It was slightly surprising that she had run out, given that in all of the months he had lived with her, she had never sold enough to run out. Even more surprising was that they had only been here for three hours.

A smile made it's way to his face as Aerith looked into her basket and gave a mild pout at running out of flowers. He must have also let out a chuckle or some other noise, because the brunette turned her attention to his and gave him a mild version of 'the look'.

Uncrossing his arms, Naruto placed his palms on the wall on either side of him and used them to push himself into a standing position. He walked over to Aerith.

"All done?" he asked, even though he already knew the answer.

"All out," she corrected him. In emphasis she shook her now empty basket.

"Maybe we should make something bigger to carry more flowers," Naruto mused, absently using his right index finger to scratch under his chin. "Something like a cart that we can carry all of your flowers in..."

He trailed off as he saw Aerith staring at him with wide eyes, one hand pressed to her mouth.

"Aerith." He grew concerned when she turned her back to him. For a moment, he could have sworn he saw tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes, and was that sniffling her heard?

Aerith took a few seconds to wipe away the tears her friends words brought her. She didn't want him to worry. It wasn't his fault his comment pained her so much. Naruto had no idea that _he _had said the exact same thing to her. In many ways, Naruto reminded her of _him_, not just in his glowing blue eyes, but in his mannerisms as well. Just like _him_, Naruto was extremely playful and flirtatious, at least he was now that he was more comfortable.

It hadn't escaped her notice that in the first two or so months her friend had been much more quiet, not quite brooding, but certainly being more silent and contemplative. It had only been within the last month or so that the blond male who had fallen into her lap began to truly open up. Once he did, Aerith had realized that all the time she had known Naruto, she had never seen the real Naruto until recently.

It was both heartening and heart breaking. Heartening because she had finally seen the real Naruto, the one that had been buried under layers of pain. Heart breaking because her new friends personality was so much like _his _that Aerith couldn't help but see the similarities between them, the man standing before her and the man she had fallen in love with several years before.

Shaking her head, Aerith brought her wayward emotions under control. She didn't want to worry Naruto with her own emotional issues. He had helped her in so many ways that it simply wouldn't be right if she let him carry even more of the burdens she had. Putting on a smile, the young brunette sucked her tears back into their ducts and turned around.

"Let's go!" She said in a cheerful voice that did not fool Naruto for a second. However, he knew that now was not the time to question her on her past. And so he remained quiet, letting her drag him by the arm as they went to her favorite place to eat on the upper plate, a small cafe by the name _The Axis Cafe_.

Lunch went much the same as usual, Aerith seemed to catch her second wind by getting her favorite meal and talking Naruto's ear off about one thing or another. The blond would respond by adding comments here and there, sometimes agreeing with her, sometimes teasing her – which never failed to make her pout. When the food came, they would eat in relative silence, only passing a few words occasionally in between bites, then afterwards they would start up again. They stayed at the small cafe for half an hour after they finished, continuing their conversation until Naruto paid for their meal.

Then they left.

Normally, this would be when Aerith would go back to selling flowers. However, with the stock she had brought with her already sold out, they both decided to leave for the day.

They made their way to the train station, and Naruto handed the guard a pair of faked ID's, one for him and one for Aerith – he had gotten her a fake as well due to her being hunted by Shinra. When the guard had cleared them both the pair made their way inside, selecting a bench that was located away from the other people in the compartment, many of whom looked very unscrupulous.

About five minutes after they were seated, the train took off, starting at a slow chug before picking up the pace and racing along the tracks. Aerith looked out at the window for several minutes, watching as they moved ever downwards beneath the plate. It was always interesting to see how they descended to the ground floor, as if they had come from the heavens to the lower and less fortunate people below. Both her and Naruto found it an apt analogy, with the exception that the people living above were not angels in any sense of the word.

"Hey, Aerith."

Naruto voice caused Aerith to turn her attention towards her companion. "Yes?"

"I have something I need to take care of when we get off the train," he started. "So I'm going to have a clone escort you home. Okay?"

Aerith frowned. "What do you have to do?"

"Nothing serious," he assured her at spotting the look on her face. "I just found a black smith awhile ago who was capable of forging kunai and shuriken for me. Since we left ahead of schedule today, I figured it would be the best time to go and get them."

"I don't know if I like the idea of you leaving me all alone..."

"You won't be alone," Naruto rolled his eyes slightly at seeing her pout. "As I said, my clone will be with you, and they're just as good as I am."

"Still..."

Naruto sighed. "I'll make it up to you when I get back."

Aerith smiled, inside of her mind a chibi version of herself was holding up a victory sign.

"I'll hold you to that," she said. Naruto gave a noncommittal grunt that just made her smile widen.

It would be another hour or so before the train came to a stop at their station. Deciding to make herself more comfortable, Aerith scooted closer to her blond companion and leaned her head on his shoulders. Naruto started for a second, nearly jumping out of his skin before looking over at the young woman. Seeing her look so relaxed, with a small smile of content on her face, the blond allowed a smile to cross his as well. Slowly at first, almost tentatively, Naruto's left arm moved up and wrapped around her shoulder, gently pulling her closer to him. Aerith didn't resist, and even used his actions to pull herself closer to him, snuggling herself directly into his torso.

The rest of the trip was made in silence. Naruto set his head on top of his companions, and both of them fell into a light sleep as the train continued it's descent into the slums.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto stepped into the weapons smith shop in the same manner he did every other place he set foot in.<p>

"Hey, old man!"

With a loud voice and great enthusiasm.

Said 'old man' wasn't really all that old. A man in his mid to late fifties with graying brown hair and dark brown eyes. He was wearing a blue collared shirt with light blue edgings and green pants. Compared to some people Naruto had met back in the Elemental Nations like Sarutobi and Oonoki, this man was just starting his prime.

At least he would be if he were a ninja.

"Oh, it's you again," the man said, before seeming to realize what Naruto had called him and shaking an annoyed fist at the blond. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me an old man!"

"You can tell me as many times as you want," Naruto shrugged. "It still won't change the facts, nor what I decide to call you."

Naruto stepped further into the room. The shop wasn't all that large, about fifty square feet all totaled, but more then half of that was taken up by a fenced off section to the blonds left, where all of the man's supplies were kept and an 'L' shaped counter to his right where the blacksmith made his transaction, leaving only a strip of room for customers to walk through.

There was a forge behind the counter where the blacksmith worked on repairs or forging weapons, and much of the area behind him was littered with various tools and metals that he used in his forging. The fenced off section looked like a testing range, Naruto could see a machine gun of some kind behind it and a target ridden with several holes on the side opposite of it. The only other place of interest that Naruto could see were the stairs that led up to the room above.

Naruto paid attention to none of this as he stepped in. Truthfully, he had only been in this store once, about one month ago when he started running low on shuriken and kunai – he had about five hundred kunai and one-thousand shuriken sealed in storage seals on his forearms – and was looking for someone who could forge them for him since he had no talent in blacksmithing. It had taken a while, most people had never even seen his weapons, but he had eventually stumbled upon this shop during his search.

The man was actually originally from Wutai, the home of this so called ninja population that Naruto had kept hearing about from Aerith. He had recognized his weaponry in an instant, and when the blond had asked if he was able to make his weapons, the older man had simply laughed and asked him how many shuriken and kunai he wanted made.

At hearing those words Naruto had known that it was the start of a beautiful relationship.

The man gave a noncommittal grunt at the blond's comment. "So I take it your here for your order?"

"That's right," Naruto said as he walked up to the counter. "You said if I came back in a month you'd have them finished." The blond spread his arms out as if to encompass himself and the rest of the store. "Well, here I am."

"So you are," the man spoke in a huff. He turned around and made his way towards a backdoor where Naruto figured he kept all of his orders. "Hang on there just moment, I'll be right back with your order."

Naruto did as told and waited, turning around and placing his elbows on the counter top so he could lean against it. He absently listened to the noises coming from the back room, grunts of exertion, the sound of clanging metal followed by a curse or two. The blond chuckled before he heard the door being opened much more forcefully then normal – probably the man kicking it open, he presumed – and turned around to see him carrying one large, wooden box that looked to way a couple dozen pounds.

The man heaved as he set it down on the counter top. "This is the first case of weapons you ordered," he said. Naruto watched as he took off the lid on the box, revealing hundreds of shuriken, their shiny metal surfaces reflecting the yellow light of the room off each other. "This box contains the first five-hundred shuriken, I got three more boxes of these for you."

"Do you need help bringing them in?" asked Naruto as the man walked into the backroom once again.

"Nah, I got it. Why don't you just inspect the weapons while I bring them out."

Naruto did just that, pulling out several of the shuriken and beginning to test them in both make and consistency.

The blond had to admit he was impressed by the man's skills in metallurgy. The shuriken were very well made, sturdy and sharp, yet also light. He didn't know what type of metal the man had used, but they were much more durable then the shuriken back home, and lighter, which created an odd dichotomy.

The blacksmith brought out five more boxes and opened each one for Naruto to check the items he had ordered.

"Here you are, two-thousand shuriken and one-thousand kunai." The blacksmith eyed the blond shinobi with a critical gaze. "Not many people use these weapons now a days, you know? Even in Wutai. Your lucky I happened to be one of the few blacksmiths that used to make the ninja of that country weapons during their war with Shinra."

"I'm surprised Shinra let you live here then," Naruto replied absently as he put the kunai he had been inspecting back into the box and placed the lid over it. "You do good work, these kunai are better then the ones I used." Considering his weapons had all been ANBU grade equipment, designed by the best blacksmiths in Konoha that was saying something.

"Of course, I'm one of the best blacksmiths you'll ever find," the man replied with pride.

Naruto nodded to him in acknowledgment as he pulled out the wallet that Aerith had bought for him. Opening it up he began pulling out several bills. "And now for the second half of your payment," he handed the man the money. "50,000 gil."

The man began counting the money he had made, which was likely more money then he had ever made in his entire life. Meanwhile, Naruto grabbed the boxes one by one and placed them on the floor, then pulled out a scroll with a storage seal on it.

As he continued to work the blacksmith looked up from his counting to eye the blond.

"Do you need any help carrying all that?"

"Nah," Naruto said with a chuckle as he unrolled the scroll. "I'll be fine."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto chuckled as he left the blacksmith, a mirthful smile on his face. It had been very amusing to see the way the man's eyes had widened to epic proportions when he had sealed all of those boxes into a small scroll of paper. Even to this day, the blond was constantly finding amusement in how easily the people of this world were amazed by the things he could do. Granted, to him sealing a couple thousand weapons into a storage scroll was something everyone Chunin and up could do – and even a few genin had been capable of it as he remembered Tenten during the first Chunin Exams he had been in. Given that this was a new world – for him at least – perhaps he shouldn't be surprised.<p>

Shaking his head and banishing his amusement for the moment, Naruto was about to head back home when his eyes landed on a building just across the... dust covered ground that acted like a street.

Like most buildings the one he was looking at was more or less a bungalow of brick, mortar and wood cobbled together to create something vaguely resembling a building. It was two stories, maybe three if the small, square block on the roof of the second floor was also a room. There was a large sign on the front of that blocky piece that had big, bold lettering on it. Below that was another sign with glowing yellow lights that said _7th Heaven_. The building happened to be the brightest one he had seen in Sector Seven, easily noticeable with it's lights, it's larger then usual build and the number of people coming out of it.

Naruto wondered how he had missed this the last time he had come to this part of Midgar.

With a thoughtful frown made his way towards the bar and walked in through the saloon styled doors.

The inside was about what he would expect to see in a bar located in the slums. The floors were made of paneled wood and were worn from use and having most likely been used before the bar was even made. There was a scattering of tables around the room with chairs placed around them. Near back left-hand corner – Naruto's left – was a bar with several stools, and a fridge and shelving behind it containing several bottles, jars and jugs of various alcohols. A large sink and stove combo was located on the other side, hidden behind a small wall, and to his right was an old jukebox and a pinball machine. Despite everything looking aged and worn, the room itself was surprisingly clean.

It was also very busy, with dozens of people drinking and laughing and just having a good time in general. It was moments like these where Naruto found himself impressed by humanities ability to adapt to any situation. Despite the fact that these people were being oppressed by a conglomerate corporation that practically ruled the world, they still managed to continue on with their lives and seek some small measure of happiness for themselves.

Naruto was impressed.

Moving through the throng of people and tables, Naruto made his way to the bar and sat on the first open seat he found. A few minutes later someone came up to him and Naruto had to blink.

"What can I –" started the young woman, who looked to be in her late teens to early twenties. She was an extremely beautiful woman, with dark brown hair, which fell below her waist and was tied at the tips to form a distinctive dolphin-tail split. Her eyes were what Naruto would call a whiskey red, not quite true red, like the eyes of Kyuubi or Kurenai Yuuhi's had been, but more of a reddish brown coloring. They were exotic all things considered, as the blond had never seen eyes with that quite coloring before.

She was wearing a white tank top that looked several sizes too small as it stretched across her bust and showed off nearly all her flat, well toned stomach, and a black mini-skirt with a belt and suspenders. On her hands were a set of red and black gloves that extend to her elbows, red boots, and a metal elbow guard on her left elbow. However, it wasn't her clothes or her eyes or even her face that attracted the most of Naruto's attention.

No, that honor belonged to her figure.

The woman before him had a bust that easily measured up with the likes of Tsunade Senju and Samui back in the Elemental Nations. Her chest, which was easily visible thanks to her several-sizes-too-small shirt, was followed by a tiny, wasp-like waist with a toned, flat belly that possessed the makings of a decent set of stomach muscles. Following the curvature of her waist, her body flared out into a set of wide hips that were perfectly proportioned with her breasts, which moved into a set of long, toned and athletic legs.

For some reason Naruto thought of the words 'mile high' when he looked at those legs. Perhaps it was because they seemed to go on forever.

All of this Naruto took in with barely two-seconds, before his eyes flicked back up to the woman's face before she could notice he had been checking her out.

However, when he did look at her face he frowned in mild concern. Her face was pale, well, paler then it had been as she was pretty light skinned. Her eyes had widened to the size of dinner plates, her mouth was hanging open in shock, and the expression on her face was a mixture of hopeful, longing and fearful.

Considering he had no clue why she was staring at him like she had seen a ghost, Naruto was unsure just what to say or do.

So naturally he went with the first thing he could think of.

"You okay?" he asked, getting the woman to jolt in startlement at the sound of his voice.

"C-Cloud?" she said, a tremor in her voice that matched her frightened yet hopeful face.

"Cloud?" Naruto frowned as he rolled the word in his tongue. It didn't take him long to realize that she had just spoken a name, though he did have to wonder what that persons parents must have been smoking to name their child after a visible mass of liquid droplets that floated in the sky.

Maybe his parents were related to Shikamaru?

Despite his admittedly amusing thoughts on people naming their children Cloud, Naruto responded to the young woman in a quick and efficient fashion.

"Sorry miss, I think you have the wrong person."

"O-Oh..."

She looked very disappointed at his words, something that made the blond uncomfortable. There were several things Naruto had never been good with, even to this day; sad women, crying women, women giving him 'the look', women giving him the ever infamous puppy-dog-eyes, and women who looked like this one did right now. Seriously, it was like some kind of curse, or maybe just the by-product of having too many women that beat – erm, trained – him in his life.

Naturally, seeing the woman before him looking pretty distraught, Naruto sought to comfort her in some way. "Are you okay?"

The girl visibly pulled herself back together, a feat that actually impressed him greatly. She gave him a bright smile and said, "of course! Now, what'll ya have?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side for a moment, studying her for a split second before shrugging. While he didn't like seeing someone, anyone (especially a beautiful woman) in pain, he wouldn't butt into their personal life if he wasn't wanted.

"A nice stiff, drink. Surprise me," he said, a slight smile gracing his face.

The woman smiled. "Coming right up!"

The woman walked over to the shelves behind her, grabbing a glass and setting it on the counter top. She placed three ice cubes in it, then grabbed a mixer and several different alcoholic beverages, which she proceeded to pour into the mixer before shaking it. The drink was poured into the glass and Tifa handed it over to him.

"Here you go!"

"Thank you," Naruto said as he took a sip of the drink. While he had never been one for alcohol, since he couldn't use it for it's one true purpose – ie, getting wasted – he had to admit this wasn't bad.

"You're welcome!" The woman replied with good cheer, though he could tell it was faked. She was still shaken up. He didn't comment on it, however, and the woman eventually left the bar when some of the males called for her.

The blond stayed there, unaware of the passing time as he nursed his drink, taking an occasional sip before letting his mind slip into a slight trance. He closed his eyes, filtering out the background noise as he let himself relax. It was something he normally only allowed himself to do at Elmyra's house.

In his minds eye he could see through the eyes of his clone, it was helping Aerith water the plants in the backyard of the house.

The feeling of a pair of eyes on him caused Naruto's attention to return back to himself.

Looking around, Naruto caught sight of a little girl hiding behind the the wall of the bar, presumably where the staircase to the second floor was. She had brown eyes and shoulder length brown hair, and was wearing a simple purple dress.

Smiling, Naruto said, "hey there, cutie. What's your name?"

Rather then answer him, the girl simply 'eeped', flushed red and hid herself further behind the wall. Naruto frowned, wondering if what was up with the girl. He was normally pretty good with children.

"No need to be shy, Marlene!" Naruto heard the voice of the barmaid behind him. Turning his head he saw the woman walk passed him, moving towards the girl. She stopped, placing her hands on her hips as she looked at the young girl – Marlene – with an amused smile. "Why don't you come out and introduce yourself?"

It took a bit of coaxing from the young woman's part, but eventually Marlene did come out from behind the wall and walked over to him, albiet she kept her head down and a distance of a few feet between them.

"H-Hello," she said in a soft voice. Naruto's chuckle brought her head up to look at him.

"Hello there," the blond replied in an amused yet soft tone, the one he usually used with children who didn't know him. "My name's Naruto Uzumaki!" He stuck his hand out to her and gave the girl a bright, friendly grin. "What's yours?"

It was almost amusing, seeing the abrupt turn around that his grin evoked in the girl. It had always been like that, even if someone hated or didn't want to have anything to do with him at first, all it normally took was a simple grin and they would become friends.

Sometimes, some people he didn't befriend until after he kicked their ass. It depended on the gender really.

"Marlene!" The girl replied with a smile of her own, grabbing his hand and shaking it.

"It's nice to meet you, Marlene," Naruto said before leaning over slightly. "Hmm... do you clean behind your ears?"

The question brought Marlene up short for a second, before she huffed and crossed her arms. "Of course I do!" The impetuous look she gave him was highly amusing, causing Naruto to chuckle.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, why do you ask?"

Naruto grinned as he reached behind her ear...

And pulled out a beautiful white rose.

"Because you had something in behind your ear." Naruto's grin widened as he handed the stunned girl the rose. She gently took it from his hand, bringing up to her eyes so she could study it. Then she looked back at Naruto and blushed.

"Thank you," she mumbled, her face taking on a slight shade of red.

Naruto chuckled as he ruffled the girls hair, causing her embarrassment to leave as she pushed his hand off with a playful scowl.

"Marlene, why don't you help out with some of the other customers."

Naruto looked up at the woman curiously as Marlene responded with an "Okay, Tifa."

"That was quite the trick you put on," the now named Tifa said. "You a magician or something?"

"Or something."

The blond gave her an amused smile when she seemed to pout by his words. While he had seen Aerith pout many times, the look on this woman's face was too sensual to be called cute. Really, thewoman was quite stunning. If Aerith was a down to earth beauty with a radiant smile, then this woman was her opposite. She exuded raw sexual appeal with her outfit, yet unlike Aerith, who was outgoing and playful, Tifa seemed to be a little more shy, at least in certain aspects.

"So, Tifa," Naruto said, using her name and gaining her attention. "I don't want to intrude, but I was just curious. Who was this Cloud you mistook me for?"

Tifa's smile dropped for a second. It returned just as quickly, but Naruto could tell it wasn't the same. It seemed almost forced.

"He was... he was a childhood friend of mine," she said in a soft voice. Her left hand came up and she began rubbing her right bicep for a moment. "He left our hometown when he was younger to join SOLDIER." Her eyes glazed over, as if in remembrance of that day. "I don't know if he ever did, since I haven't heard from him since."

Naruto winced. He felt like an ass for intruding into her personal life to sate his curiosity. His eyes spotted her hand pressed against the table and he awkwardly patted it, bringing her attention from her memories back to him.

"I'm sure you'll see him again eventually," he told her in a confident voice. "If he's as important to you as he sounds, then your bound to meet again some day."

Tifa looked startled at his proclamation, however, she smiled a few seconds later and placed her free hand over his. "Thank you."

"Your welcome," Naruto said with a smile, right before his eyes caught sight of the clock on the wall to his left and promptly widened.

"Oh crap!"

He stood up rather abruptly, startling Tifa who asked what was wrong. However, he didn't pay any attention to her words as he took out nearly a hundred gil, far more money for a simple drink, threw it on the table, and said, "sorry to cut our meeting short, but I really need to head out. I'll see you later ok!"

Damn, he should have focused more on the time, or better yet, not entered this establishment at all!

Aerith was going to kill him.

"Um... O... k..." Tifa replied in a stunned manner as Naruto hauled ass out of her bar.

_'I wonder what he was in such a rush for?'_

* * *

><p><strong>I've had quite a few people bitching to me about having Sasuke being in my story. To be honest, I'm kind of disappointed that none of you seem to think I don't have a reason for doing this. Everything I do in my stories are always well thought out long in advance, and I have a very good reason for adding Sasuke (beyond giving Naruto an enemy of his own). His role in the events to come will be very important, for Naruto at least.<strong>

**Now, you can of course, continue to bitch and moan about not wanting Sasuke in the story. And if that's what you want to do, then I will simply tell you to stop reading. Since this is my story, I am god. As the author, it is my will to write what I want, and while I will take any suggestions under advisement, in the end, that is all they are.**

**For those who will continue reading and reviewing my story, I thank you for your continued support.**

**Pokemaster12, signing off.**


	5. A1 C5: Another Day on the Job

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 1: Enter the Sennin**

**Chapter 5: Another Day on the Job**

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><p>BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BE –<p>

The sound of a hand smashing against an alarm clock resounded through out the decent sized bedroom. A groan erupted from under the white sheets before a head of brown hair poked out from underneath them.

Pushing the covers away, Cissnei sat up and let out a particularly loud yawn. She did not look particularly please to be awake. Her hair was frazzled, with strands poking out everywhere, her red eyes gazed around the room in bleary defiance, and there was a small amount of drool caked to the left side of her face.

It was clear that she was not a morning person.

She balled her hands into fists and took a moment to rub the sleep from her eyes, a cute gesture that would have gotten Reno making fun of her, were he there to see it. Of course, it would have also gotten him a severe beating because of that very same reason.

Knowing that she needed to get her day started now, or she would be liable to fall asleep again, Cissnei swung her legs around, until they reached the end of the bed she was closes to. She pushed forward, her feet hitting the floor, then she stood up.

Scratching the back of her head, Cissnei let out another loud yawn as she made her way to a small door on the left. This door led to a standard bathroom, with a shower that also acted as a bathtub, a toilet and a sink with a mirrored drawer to it's left, and a plain mirror in front of it.

Cissnei made her way to the shower, turning the water on to a hot setting. While she waited for the water to heat up, she undid the buttons of her pajama shirt, her fingers fumbling in an uncoordinated manner as they worked to undo the buttons. It took some work for her sleep addled brain to accomplish this task, but she eventually managed to undo all of the buttons and slid the shirt off her slender frame. Had her mind been working properly, she probably would have wondered why she bought the damn shirt in the first place.

The rest of her clothes were deceivingly easier. Hooking her thumbs into the waistband of her light blue capris pajama bottoms and her underwear at the same time, Cissnei slid the two garments down her smooth legs. By now the shower was hot, and Cissnei simply tossed her pajamas near the door before stepping under the warm spray.

She stayed under the water for nearly five minutes, doing nothing more then simply standing there with her eyes closed as she let the many tiny droplets of water caress her form. Cissnei had never been a morning person, ever. It always took her several minutes under the water to wake up. However, once she began feeling her body come fully online, she grabbed a bar of soap and began cleaning herself.

Her actually cleaning was fast. Maybe two minutes at most. When she was done, Cissnei turned the shower head off and stepped out. She grabbed the towel hanging off the rack and proceeded to partially dry her hair, then her body, before wrapping the towel around her bust. Cissnei then walked over to her sink.

Sitting on her sink were the standard toiletries one would expect for a female. A toothbrush, some hand soap, a very feminine looking razor, some shaving gel in a pink container, and a hair dryer. She grabbed the hair dryer, turning it on and using it to blow dry the rest of her hair. When she was finished, Cissnei didn't bother combing it, simply flicking it behind her head and letting her now dry locks cascade down to her shoulders in messy waves. Her next step was brushing her teeth, which didn't take to much time. When she was done, she set her toothbrush in it's rightful place, then walked over to the door, grabbed her pajamas and left.

Cissnei threw her pajamas on the bed for now, not even stopping her stride as she walked over to the dresser drawer at the other end of her room. It was a fairly simply room, with only the bare nessecities; a bed, a dresser, a nightstand, a closet and a desk. It looked larger then most rooms, because unlike most people, Cissnei did not enjoy cluttering her room with unnecessary crap. The only identifying mark in her room, was a large multiple framed picture frame, each one of them a picture of her, either with certain members of the Turks, or with a tall man with long, spiky black hair and glowing blue eyes.

Opening the bottom drawer, Cissnei pulled out a pair panties, then closed it, and opened the top drawer and grabbed a bra. She closed that drawer, then walked over to the bed, tossing the bra onto it before stepping into her panties and sliding them up her legs. Next she put on the bra, quickly doing the clasp, then walking over to the closet.

She stopped for a moment, eying herself the full body mirror her closet door possessed. Cissnei did not have what one would call a full or hour glass figure. Her body was very lithe and petite, with a tiny, wasp-like waist and slender but strong legs. Her breasts were not very large, not to say that she was flat, they were several sizes larger then a handful, well developed and perky mounds that were just large enough to sway slightly as she walked. Likewise, her hips did not flare out very much, certainly no where near some of the more voluptuous woman she had seen, but that did not mean she had nothing. Her hips fit her figure perfectly, and with her tiny wasp-like waist, her hip size had a decent set of curves to them. The fact that she had a very small, shapely rear that showed off how athletic she was added a nice touch to her overall attractiveness.

"_You know, now that we're not fighting I can't help but notice your pretty cute. If you weren't a member of the Turks, or working for Shinra in general, I would probably have asked you out on a date by now."_

Cissnei blushed as the words of Naruto Uzumaki rang in her ears. She could still remember their first ever confrontation, though, she wasn't sure if such a word was even appropriate, it hadn't been as if the blond had actually put up a fight. He had simply played with her, then ended it before her reinforcements could arrive.

"Ugh... stop thinking about him!" Cissnei shook her head violently, dispelling the thoughts – or at least trying to – so she could get started on her day.

She nearly slammed the door to her closet open in her haste to rid herself of the mirror. Entering the small walk-in closet, the pretty brunnette Turk didn't even bother to look around before grabbing the pieces to her uniform. Walking back out, she closed the door and moved over to her bed, setting the clothing aside and beginning to get dressed.

Once fully dressed she made her way out of the bedroom and into her living room. It was a standard room with light cream colored walls. In the center of the room was a coffee table surrounded by two couches and a chair with a small desk that held a TV on top of it placed against the wall. A decently sized window helped light up one side of the room, while the other side served as a kitchen. Which was where Cissnei walked into.

There, she opened her fridge, grabbed a box of eggs and a tub of butter. Closing the fridge went over to a cabinet, set her ingredients down and opened the drawers to pull out a pan. It wasn't long before she had the butter melting in a pan that was now set over the stove and a piece of toast in the toaster. As soon as the melted butter was spread evenly across the surface, Cissnei cracked a few eggs into the pan and let it sit. Before to long, Cissnei found herself sitting at the small table in her kitchen, hurriedly eating sunny-side up eggs and a side of toast with a glass of milk. As soon as she finished, she set her dishes in the dishwasher and moved towards the door that led to the outside world.

A Shinra company car was already waiting for her. Cissnei locked the door and made her way towards the car, moving as fast as she could without looking rushed. When she got up to it, she opened the back door and moved in.

"You took your sweet time as always," Reno said from his place in the drivers seat.

"Not now," Cissnei said with a groan. "I have no desire to be bothered by you this early in the morning, Reno. Just start driving."

"Fine, fine, no need to get your panties in a twist," Reno said. He laid a hand on the gear-shift, deftly moving the stick and switching it from park, to first gear. He eased off the breaks and stepped on the gas pedal, making the car begin to move forward, picking up speed the further it got from Cissnei's apartment.

Cissnei yawned as she leaned against the glass window and looked out at the city scape before her. She had never liked Midgar, to be honest. It was to confining for her tastes, to industrial. An unthinking, unfeeling machine that never slept. That was Midgar. If it weren't for the fact that she was a member of Shinra, more to the point a Turk, she would have moved out a long time ago.

Maybe she could ask for a vacation? It would be nice visiting one of the less industrialized towns.

She might even pay a visit to _his _parents. She had promised him she would, after all.

It was the last promise she would ever make to him.

Cissnei closed her eyes when a wave of pain hit her as she remembered the recent debacle that had happened just a few dozen miles outside of Midgar not even two weeks ago. She had failed, she and the Turks had failed to rescue their friend before he was gunned down by Shinra Troops. While the Turks had not been punished for commandeering Shinra equipment to mount their rescue operation – an operation which had gone directly against Shinra – the gnawing guilt she felt at failing her friend was worse then any punishment the conglomerate corporation could ever heap on her.

Having been the one to commandeer the helicopter for transportation and tasked with the rescue and evacuation of her friend, Cissnei had been the one to show up to see the aftermath.

She could still remember seeing her friend, his blue eyes staring at the sky sightlessly as he lay on his back, arms laid out by his side as if someone had taken the time to straight them out in order to allow him to retain his dignity in death...

...His body riddled with bullet holes...

...The blood that had soaked through his shirt and ran along the ground to form small streams as it mixed with the rain. It had been a horrible sight, one that would likely haunt her dreams for some time to come. Cissnei could still remember how she had lain on her bed and cried her eyes out the moment she had gotten back home, as well as how his face had shown up in her nightmares from that night onwards.

Oddly enough, the large Buster Sword that he had always carried since the Angeal incident had been missing. To top it off, the blond male that had been infected by Mako poisoning that he had been protecting had been no where in sight as well. At first her thoughts went to the blond she had fought two weeks before the incident, but then remembered that there was no possible way they could be the same person. The one with her friend had been completely unresponsive, dead to the world. The one she had fought had been anything but.

However, Cissnei had been too filled with emotion to worry too much about the former Shinra Trooper at the time, busy as she was lamenting the loss of her friend and trying to think of some way she could have saved him to actually have anything more then a passing thought about the man her friend had been with. Her regret was such that she couldn't help but examine all of the things she had done during the operation and look to see if there hadn't been something she could have done differently that would have ended with her being able to rescue the man she had come to care about. Her pain had been such that she had ignored everything else about the scene as she continuously reexamined her choices and went through various self recriminations.

Even through the pain, she absently wondered if the ancient had felt his death. They had been close, after all.

With a shake of her head she dispelled those thoughts, both the thought of her failure, as well as the ancient and the slight jealousy she felt towards the girl. They wouldn't do her any good right now.

Reno drove on, the car moving from the main street to the highway, reaching ever nearer to the largest building in Midgar. Shinra Headquarters. Cissnei closed her eyes, not bothering to pay attention as Reno drove the car through a tunneled entrance into the headquarters parking garage. It was a garage specifically for it's high echelon members, like the Turks and division heads. As soon as the car stopped, Cissnei opened the door and began walking hurriedly, forcing Reno to run in order to catch up.

"Hey, hey, what's the rush?" asked Reno as Cissnei walked over to the button that would call the elevator down and pushed it. "You're not trying to get away from me, are you?"

Cissnei sighed, the only response she gave that showed she was annoyed by her current companions constant jabbering.

"This isn't about how I made fun of you for being all tied up after every encounter you've had with that Naruto fellow, is it?"

Unlike every other member of the Turks who had an unfortunate run in with the blond ninja, and subsequently got hit by guerrilla warfare-ass pranks, the only thing he had ever done to Cissnei was leaving her tied up with ninja wire after sparring – ie fighting – and chatting with her for upwards of half an hour. This was what had led Reno to cracking jokes about her and Naruto getting into bondage, which would consequently end with Cissnei trying to stab the red head with her shuriken.

Sometimes she even succeeded.

"At least I didn't end up getting tied butt-ass naked to the front door of Shinra HQ," Cissnei retorted, remembering the fiasco that particular prank had caused. It had been especially bad because, not only had Naruto somehow managed to strip Reno completely nude – which couldn't have happened unless the red head was out cold, he had also somehow managed to avoid the cameras and security system of Shinra Headquarters and tie Reno to the front door without alerting anyone. Worse still, Reno hadn't even known what had happened. One minute he had been on the ancients trail, the next he was waking up with a cold chill and severe dizziness.

Reno winced at the latest reminder of his failure to obtain the ancient and humiliation at the hands of the blond. He managed to put his thoughts into words with an elegance that only Reno could pull off.

"Ouch."

A chime sounded and the elevator door slid opened. Cissnei stepped into the small compartment, Reno following right behind her as she pressed the button for the basement level five. The small, round button lit up. A chime sounded, and soon the elevator began it's descent with a slight lurch.

"You know," Reno started again, idly scratching his chin as Cissnei tried to restrain the intense urge she had gained to clobber him with her shuriken. The red head was of course, oblivious to his teammate's inner thoughts as he continued his inflections. "If I didn't hate the guy for all the shit he's pulled on us, I think this Naruto character and I would get along famously."

Cissnei said nothing, but it was more out of a loss for words then a need to speak. Though her loss of speech was due more to her turning to hide the fierce blush on her cheeks when she thought of _her_ odd relationship with Naruto, and her fear that if she did speak, her voice would reveal how flustered he was.

Thankfully, Reno was one of the most clueless members of their group, and thus, didn't even notice Cissnei's change in demeanor.

"I mean, yeah, those pranks were pretty fucked up, but that's what makes them so awesome, you know?" he continued, oblivious to the brunette's plight. "If those pranks had happened to anyone but me, you can bet I'd have laughed my ass off at them. Pulling those kinds of stunts and humiliating Shinra, that takes balls of steel."

"Reno..." Cissnei growled, her voice and face finally back under control.

"Hmm?" Reno turned his eyes back towards Cissnei, finally getting a good look at her. The girl had her head down, bangs overshadowing the upper half of her face so he couldn't see her eyes. She was trembling, and the red head wondered if something was wrong, which he gave voice to a second later. "Why is your face all red?"

Cissnei reached behind her back, absently pulling out her shuriken.

"SHUT UP RENO!"

He really should have seen this coming.

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>"I'm glad to see you're all here," Tseng, the leader of the Turks said as he walked in through the door. Tseng was a tall man, wearing the classic, dark blue Turk attire. The sharp lines and creases of his clothing, along with the no-nonsense expression on his face told everyone who met him that he was not a man to be crossed. He had black eyes, and his shoulder-length, black hair is usually in a ponytail. Finally, there was what appeared to be a tilak in the middle of his forehead. "Now that you are all present, we can get down to why this meeting was called."<p>

The other Turks that had previously been lounging around on the various couches and sofas spread across the special room reserved just for them, all stood at attention as their leader walked into the room.

"I was wondering why all of us had been called in," Reno commented from his spot on the couch. Being the lazy layabout that he was, the red head was the only one that had not risen from his seat. Rather, he remained propped on his chosen couch, left foot on his right knee, posture slouched and his arms spread across the head of the sofa. His entire posture screamed lazy.

On a side note, he had a large bruise on the side of his face from where Cissnei had decked him.

At least he didn't get stabbed by her shuriken this time.

"Well, you can stop wondering now," Tseng said as he pulled out a small disc and walked over to a monitor on the table located in the center of the room. He pushed down on a button on top of the oblong device. It came to life with a low thrum, the lens in the front projecting a white screen onto the wall. He then pressed in a small rectangle indent on the side. There was a click, and a slot for a small disc popped out. Tseng put the disc he had on the slot and pushed it back in.

There were a few seconds in which the screen remained blank, then it began to crackle for a moment, before shifting into a shaky image that showed someone in SOLIDER garb walking in a snow covered mountain.

"Several days ago one of our last first-class SOLDIER's, Drake Canic, was sent to Modeoheim when we received reports on someone who appeared around that area killing several of our troops. This video feed is from one of the Shinra troopers that had gone with Drake to scout out the area for the potential hostile."

All of the Turks listened intently, even Reno, as they watched the video. Cissnei frowned as she saw the troops split up. While she could read the man's lips, she wished this video feed had audio.

Tsengs next words brought a chilling dichotomy to the otherwise previously relaxed procession.

"This soldier also happens to be the only person we sent out who came back alive."

And with those words, the various members of the Turks were forced to watch what this trooper had seen. From his search of the old warehouse, to the sight of the large explosion and the gruesome scene of the other soldiers in repose. With it finally ending with the man getting orders to send a message and running out of the complex like his life depended on it. And from what they had seen, it likely had.

The screen went blank and Tseng's eyes moved to look at each one of them. "The trooper whose video feed you just saw has been recently placed in the Shinra psychiatric ward for post traumatic experiences."

"Yeah, so, this is freaky and all," Reno started, once more bringing attention to himself. "But what exactly does this have to do with us?"

"While I don't like to agree with the idiot here," Cissnei ignored said idiots shout of 'I resent that' in favor of staring at her boss. "I would also like to know just why all of the Turks were called in at the same time, especially since we have yet to capture the ancient."

Tseng nodded his head, then grabbed a small remote off the table and clicked a button on it. The screen of the video feed, which had been replaying on a feedback loop, changed to an aerial view with an image of the Modeoheim outpost. He then zoomed in on a specific point to show the image of a man with messy black hair and the most unusual clothes hopping a thirty foot gap between buildings with ease.

"This man here is the reason," the Turk leader started. "As you know, only that single troop survived the incident, and that was simply due to the fact that he had gotten far enough away that this man decided not to follow him. Perhaps because he wasn't worth the effort. In any event, this single man managed to wipe out an entire squadron of Shinra troops that were being led by a First-class SOLDIER. It has become obvious that this man is a serious threat, especially since we know nothing about him, other then that he has some powerful materia."

Here, Tseng zoomed in on another part of the overall image, the destroyed structure that looked like someone had set of a series of plastic explosives on the inside.

"Therefore, it has been decided that the Turks are to apprehend him."

"Apprehend?" Cissnei said in surprise. "Wait, you don't mean to say you want us to take him alive, do you?"

At those words, Tseng looked distinctly uncomfortable. "Unfortunately, yes. It seems Hojo managed to get this footage before us somehow..." All of the Turks took a moment to frown, none of them liked the mad scientist of Shinra, nor his inhumane experimentation. "He spoke with President Shinra and convinced him that capturing this man could prove to be beneficial to his research."

"Great," Reno sighed. "I just love playing gofer for a mad man who wants us to fetch a new 'specimen' for his science experiments."

Cissnei looked over at them, then back to Tseng, muttering in a voice so soft that no one could actually here it.

"For once, you and I are in agreement."

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Darkness was all that he knew now.<p>

It was the only thing he had left in the world, the intangible darkness that he could feel in his heart. Taking revenge had been the only thing he had lived for ever since the slaughter of his clan at the hands of his brother when he was eight years old. And after he had killed his brother, it had not been enough, he had needed more. So he had taken revenge on his former village after hearing about how they had betrayed his family, forcing his brother into killing his own kin. The reasons hadn't even mattered back then, they still don't, he had just needed someone to take out his hatred against.

However, now he was nothing, just an empty shell of a man. His mind and body, the core of his being, of who he was, was now filled with a sense of emptiness, a hollow feeling that refused to leave. Guilt now filled his mind, the feeling of what he had done weighed him did. Now, here, where there was nothing left, his mind was filled with regret.

Standing on the upper most reaches of the excavation building that had become his home, his tomb, dull onyx eyes watched the howling snow as it was whipped about in a frenzy from the wind. The snow falling against his skin caused a deep chill to come into his body that matched the chill in his soul. He would blink sometimes to see the snow falling around him had changed, the once pristine white that represented purity would stain red with blood. Such occurrences were no longer rare, the longer he had been in this strange new world, the more frequent these images happened.

That was the fate born to one of the Uchiha clan. To be forever stained in blood as their Sharingan eyes refused to let them forget.

Sasuke Uchiha had long since lost count of the number of lives he had taken. His hands were stained with so much blood, so much. Long before he had come to this strange world Sasuke had long since been unable to tell what color his hands were, stained as much as they were in blood. The strange soldiers in the blue armor, and the one with the large sword in the purple clothing were but a pittance when compared to the amount of lives he had taken.

Compared to the hundreds, thousands, he had killed during the Fourth Great Shinobi War, what was a couple dozen more to add to his body count?

It wasn't like he could do anything else, anyways. All Sasuke knew was how to kill. Having walked this path of bloodshed for so long, he no longer knew how to do anything else. Now, all he could do was continue to walk on this path of death and destruction until someone killed him. He wanted, needed, someone who was his equal to end this torment of his.

Truthfully, Sasuke could only imagine one person who might be able to kill him. Naruto not only had the strength, but the right to kill him. The Uchiha chuckled derisively. He would have never thought that of all the people he would wish to be in the presence of, it would be his dobe of a teammate.

"I suppose I can't call you a dobe anymore, can I?" Sasuke said as if the blond man was standing before him with a chuckle. Naruto had gotten strong, after gaining control of the Kyuubi Naruto had gotten very strong. His strength had gone even further after that, when Sasuke had begun killing off his friends the blond's strength had grown by leaps and bounds. They had clashed many, many times during the war and each time it seemed as if the Kyuubi Jinchurikki had been just a little stronger, with one more trick up his sleeve and an ace in the hole for added insurance. By the time the war had come to a head, his former teammate had been able to stand on more then equal grounds with him and Tobi.

Sasuke could still remember that final battle that had led to him being sent here, to this place, this world.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p><em>Their confrontation had come just as he had expected it. It was not surprising in the least, given the number of times they had clashed and fought during this war. The two of them were practically destined to do battle with one another, just as Uchiha Madara had battled with Senju Hasharima at the land that had become known as the Valley of End, so too would Uchiha Sasuke do battle with Uzumaki Naruto.<em>

_It had not been all that difficult for the blond to find him, having left many clues along the way on purpose, Sasuke knew it would have only been a matter of time before his opponent had tracked him down. And now that Naruto had come, there battle had taken place once again, a mere continuation of their previous bout two weeks ago._

_Combat had started off the moment Naruto had seen him, it was immediate and violent. A large blade of wind came flying at him from across the clearing. With the power of his Sharingan eye, Sasuke was able to dodge the attack accordingly, and with relative ease._

_However, that had been a mere distraction. A clone appeared on his left, it's hands making slashing motions and creating a large web of wind blades, a complicated pattern that had no weakness for the Sharingan to reveal. Sasuke knew at once, if that thing hit him, he was done for._

"_Katon: Onohidama!__" Sasuke __completed the needed handseals before holding his hands in front of him. A fireball began to form between his hands, growing rapidly larger as the seconds passed by. When the flame was at it's peak of power, the Uchiha scion hurled it outward, at which point the jutsu started to rapidly expand to its full size, which was roughly forty feet in diameter._

_The large and powerful A-ranked jutsu would have worked, had it not been for one simple fact. There was another clone that had appeared next to the first one. It went through a set of handseals of it's own, before shouting, "__Suiton: Daibakufu No Jutsu!__"_

_Water rose in front of the clone, spinning around like a turbulent tide as it formed a large circle somewhere around fifty feet in diameter. It exploded forward at unbelievable speeds, moving so fast that large waves formed on other side to crash into the ground beyond, destroying the many trees on either side in the process. The colossal torrent of spinning water smashed into the wind blades, not only increasing the power of them by nearly ten fold but also adding the power to counter Sasuke's jutsu._

_Which it did, smashing into the attack and utterly destroying it before it could get close to the blond. The attack lost none of it's power, and soon it continued on towards Sasuke, where it smashed into him with a power so ferocious that Susanoo-no-mikoto, the infamous god of the sea would have trembled at it's strength._

_A large blast of water rose into the air as it struck Sasuke, a geyser of veritable destruction that destroyed all in it's wake. However, as the attack died down, the large column of water dispersed into a fine mist to reveal that Sasuke was not harmed at all._

_Instead the raven haired Uchiha was surrounded by his chakra. It started off as a whitish-blue haze before bleeding and morphing into a dark, antagonistic violet. It expanded, and then took a shape, a figure that reminded Naruto of an anguished soul trying to break free of it's bindings formed around Sasuke's body. A humanoid shape towered over him, seemingly dressed in some variety of ancient armour, plate-like pauldrons covering the shoulders. On the spectre's head was a crown of long horns._

"_Didn't expect the need to bring out Susanoo so soon, did you?"_

_Sasuke snorted as he turned his body, the greatest of the Mangekyo Techniques, Susanoo turning with him. He looked over at the blond who was eying him with what could be construed as a disinterested manner, were it not for the hate that was being barely restrained in his eyes._

"_Don't get ahead of yourself, Naruto," Sasuke said, no longer could he keep calling this man dobe anymore. Despite the fact that Naruto would forever be an idiot in his eyes, if nothing else the blond had become strong and earned his respect. "You may have forced me to this point, but I'm not quite finished showing off all of my tricks yet. Amataresu." _

_Black flames exploded from around Sasuke, whirling and writhing in unnatural shapes and forms before exploding towards Naruto – the one he suspected was the original. However, Naruto had his own tricks up his sleeve. Surprising Sasuke greatly, blue chakra began to emit from the blond's left index finger. Quicker then even his Sharingan could track, a complex and intricate seal was sketched out in midair, hieroglyphs that the raven haired Uchiha had never seen before._

"_Fuïnjutsu Tōei: Fuīn Hoen!" The flames, which had once been set to consume Naruto's very being in unholy fire, now began to coalesce towards the glowing seals made of chakra. They swirled and writhed, as if fighting to escape the inescapable pull of a black hole. And then they were consumed, the flames disappearing into nothing, the seals vanishing with them._

"_Hnn."_

_Sasuke dispersed his Susanoo, knowing that he would need to save chakra in this battle. Naruto was a monster when it came to his chakra capacity, even more so then Kisame had been. While it was difficult to guess as to the amount of chakra his former teammate had, he would at the very least estimate it to be around maybe twice as much as Kisame had when the shark man had been alive._

_The two shinobi, two men that were considered to be the greatest warriors of their time, faced each other in a classic stand off. No more words were said, no more words were needed. _

_With a burst of speed the pair of shinobi shot towards each other, pushing off from the surface of the water with great force. Blurs of black and white, and yellow and orange met in a flurry of speed and power as the pair began a taijutsu battle. The two shinobi traded blows of fists and feet, elbows and knees. Their pace furious and their tempo relentless._

_The two of them seemed evenly matched. Naruto was the powerhouse of the pair, his attacks were strong, his speed unreal, and the viciousness of his assault was damn near relentless. His strikes came in from no where and everywhere, an nearly unpredictable pattern that made it hard if not outright impossible for normal shinobi to predict._

_Uchiha Sasuke was no normal shinobi._

_Sasuke was able to keep up thanks to his Sharingan. He did not have the power, nor the speed that his former teammate boasted. However, with the precognitive abilities of his eyes, the younger of the two remaining Uchiha was more then able to keep up with him. He used his clarity of vision and enhanced eyesight to dodge many attacks, moving as if he had seen them coming long before they had actually come. Those attacks that he couldn't dodge were redirected with subtle movements that knocked the blond's attack off course just enough to pass Sasuke by a few centimeters._

_It was the difference in their fighting styles. Naruto was the sharpened sword of the gladiator, Sasuke the subtle fan of the noble. Their two styles were complete opposites in every way, yet complimented each other in a way that only came from two people who were intimate with the other's form of combat._

_Naruto ducked under a knife edged swipe from Sasuke, whose hand was coated in lightning chakra. He came back up, his fist distorting as he gathered wind chakra around it and moved into an upper cut. Sasuke just barely managed to escape the blow, or at least he thought he did. His Sharingan eyes widened as he saw the distortion around Naruto's fist expand, catching him under the chin. Sasuke was sent flying several meters into the air. _

_He flipped and twisted, spinning in midair as he tried to right himself. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw a wind dragon heading towards him. With his eyes, Sasuke could see the amount of chakra pumped into the attack. If he was going to survive this he would need something big._

_Or a log. Where the hell was a log when you needed to use a Kawarimi?_

_Going through a long string of handseals, Sasuke shouted out the name of his jutsu, "Katon: Ryuuka No Jutsu!" Chakra was gathered his mouth, creating so much fire that burning red flames lit the area around him. When all of the chakra was converted into fire chakra, Sasuke released the flames in one, single burst. The attack exploded as it was ejected from his mouth in a long blaze of fire that shot towards the wind jutsu._

_It was one of the strongest fire jutsu in his arsenal, and it easily overtook the wind dragon, not only overtaking it, but using it's own power to empower it. The wind of Naruto's jutsu fanned the flames of Sasuke's, causing the Ryuuka no Jutsu to quadruple in size and potency as it smashed into the waters below._

_There was a large explosion, a gout of flame that ripped into the sky, creating a mushroom of flame and smoke. The water didn't hiss, it didn't have time to hiss, as the flames forced it to evaporate on contact. When the attack began to disperse, leaving only the hanging cloud of smoke in the air, Sasuke saw that his attack had literally evaporated the entire lake._

_Naruto wasn't there._

_A powerful kick to the back of his head launched Sasuke towards the ground. Flipping around as he fell, Sasuke turned his body, corkscrewing so he could get a good look at his attacker._

_It was Naruto, descending from above like a vengeful angel. The irony of the look was not lost on Sasuke._

_Sasuke landed on the ground. Naruto was still in the air, his body rotating and twisting as he made to drop Sasuke with a powerful drop kick. Sasuke jumped back, allowing his blond opponent to crash into the ground below, causing the ground to quake and split. A large crater formed where Naruto's body hit the ground, the earth splitting into small trenches starting from the point of impact._

_A grimace made it's way to Sasuke's face._

_If that attack had hit..._

_He had no time to ponder this new strength the blond seemed to have gained. Naruto had just burst up from the ground below him, and it was all Sasuke could do not to get hit by the attack. He jumped back, moving into a series of flips, spins and twists as he tried to put some distance between him and the attacking blond._

_It had not escaped his notice that Naruto had not even used the Kyuubi yet. Nor his fabled Sennin-mode._

_Gritting his teeth, Sasuke was forced to evade more lightning fast punches from the blond, whose attacks were not just quick and powerful, but completely unpredictable as well. Naruto threw out his attacks from odd angles, coming in with hits from places you would never expect, hiding punches within kicks and vica versa. It was only by stint of his Sharingan eyes that Sasuke had been able to keep up thus far._

_The raven haired Uchiha frowned, he wondered what was taking Madara so long. He should have been here by now._

_Then his eyes widened. _

_His body had stopped responding to his commands. He tried telling it to move, but no matter how much he strained, his muscles wouldn't budge an inch._

_It looked like Naruto had the same problem, the blonds fist was an inch away from his face, there was a slight trembling in his hand that told Sasuke he was trying to fight through whatever was holding them in place._

"_I believe you'll find that, even should you use the Kyuubi or Sennin-mode, that you won't be able to break out of this, Naruto-kun."_

"_Madara..." Naruto growled hatefully as his eyes moved towards the edge of the lake, where the man in question was standing. His white mask, with it's complete juubi eye covering the front and circling around a single eye hole. His Akatsuki cloak billowed in the wind, flowing out and whipping around him like a wraith._

_Madara chuckled. "You can't believe how long it took me to make that seal you're under." At this, both Sasuke and Naruto looked down at the ground. While their bodies were incapable of moving, their eyes weren't, and were more then capable of seeing the vast and complex network of glyphs and lines that were under them. Both had to wonder just when Madara had the time to make the seal as there was no way he could have done it before hand. "I made this seal especially for you, you know."_

"_You can't honestly think this will hold me forever, do you?" asked Naruto, his hateful glare piercing Madara's mask. "It looks like this seal will only last for a set amount of time."_

"_That is true," Madara admitted freely, a shrug of his shoulders indicating he wasn't all that bothered by this fact. "Fuīnjutsu of this nature usually have an inherent weakness. I made this with you in mind, naturally it's strong enough to hold even a Jinchurikki of your caliber. However, it does have a time limit." He didn't say what that time limit was, and it was obvious he was not going to._

"_So then, what are you going to do now?" asked Naruto. "The moment this seal breaks, I'm going to kill Sasuke, and then I'm going to kill you."_

_Sasuke would have bristled at the comment Naruto made, but given the circumstances he kept his mouth shut and listened in._

"_You assume I'm going to let you escape," Madara replied with some form of mild amusement. "With you having ruined my moon-eye plan by destroying the Gedo Mazō and the Bijuu having been whisked to safety by none other then you, there isn't much I can do anymore. So I've decided that if nothing else, I'm going to get rid of you."_

_A great deal of chakra gathered around Madara's left Sharingan eye, it's shape morphing, though neither Naruto nor Sasuke could see it. A distortion formed in the air between the two shinobi, a large black swirl that coalesced into a vortex._

"_I have no clue what happens to those who are sucked into a Kamui, but I suppose it doesn't matter," Madara said in a cheerful voice. "Whatever the case may be, you will no longer be such a thorn in my side. Good bye, Naruto-kun... Sasuke..."_

_Sasuke grit his teeth, unable to scream or say anything towards the treacherous man as the vortex grew larger in an instant and consumed him. For a second, which felt like it was stretching into minutes that stretched into hours, all he knew was pain. A thousand red-hot needles poking into his flesh, the feel of his body being ripped apart at the seams, as if his very existence was being erased. It was unbearable, the amount of stress his body was under. It was a type of pain that put every wound he had ever received to shame._

_And then._

_Nothing._

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>That had been the last thing he remembered before coming to this world. If he had the chance to go back in time and change the past, knowing now what would come, Sasuke would have taken it in a heart beat. Had he been given the opportunity to redo his choice when the Sound Four invited him to be Orochimaru's apprentice, he would have told them all to go to hell.<p>

Knowing what he did now, if Sasuke had the chance, he would have supported his village. With the knowledge he now possessed, the knowledge of the truth, the real truth, he would have burnt Madara to ashes during their first meeting if given the option.

He had been played a fool.

His brother, Itachi, a person he had at one point looked up to, at one point hated, and at another point pitied, had been a pawn. Madara had used Itachi's love for him to enslave his brother to his will, and even though he had done his best to outsmart the ancient Uchiha, it had all been for naught.

His clan had been a pawn. Madara had sowed the seeds of discord within the clan, long before he had ever abandoned the village his taint had betrayed the clan.

The village of Konoha had been a pawn. The distrust between the Uchiha Clan and the rest of Konoha after the Kyuubi attack – an attack of Madara's design – had led to the distrust that led to his clans destruction.

Sasuke Uchiha had been, perhaps Madara's greatest achievement. He had been a pawn of Madara's make. The ancient Uchiha had twisted his mind, warped his ideals until he had been nothing more then a rabid beast, an attack dog whose hatred for the world had consumed his will.

Behind it all, pulling the strings from the shadows had been the puppet master. Uchiha Madara had manipulated the entirety of the elemental nations to do his bidding.

Surprisingly enough, the one person Madara had not been able to manipulate, had been the one person who most would have thought the most easily manipulated.

Uzumaki Naruto had been the wrench in Madara's plan. The blond had gone from a complete loser without a skill to his name, to a one man army, a walking engine of destruction that had cut swaths through Madara's forces. He had gained not only total control of his Bijuu, but the total trust of his Bijuu, and that of the others. With the aid of Kyuubi, and several powerful ninja to help train him, Naruto had fought the two Uchiha on even ground. He had destroyed the Gado Mazō, freed the Bijuu, and found them a place to live, free of the taint of humanity. A place that no one, not even Madara for some reason, could reach.

If for no other reason than that, Naruto secretly held Sasuke admiration and respect. Unlike him, Naruto had held true to his beliefs, his ideals, and they had never led him astray, even in the midst of his darkest hours.

_'I wonder if Naruto is also on this strange world,'_ Sasuke thought to himself. His head looked up, eyes gazing into the howling winds of sleet and snow. For a moment, Sasuke could almost make out the features of the blond shinobi in question, his face grinning that dopey smile that he had been known for in his youth. Back when times had been much more simple, happier even.

Sasuke blinked, then the vision was gone.

The sound of continual beating came from overhead. Sasuke's eyes found the source of the sound, some kind of flying machine, with an oval shaped body and a large tail sticking out of the back. On top of it's carapace, four propeller blades spun, keeping the thing afloat. It soared out of the depths of the wind, moving to hover just a few meters away from him.

The flying contraption turned, revealing a woman with blond hair and brown eyes sitting inside of the vehicle.

She was also pointing something at him, something shiny and metal with a spinning barrel of some kind. Whatever it was, Sasuke had the feeling it was not something that would be conducive to his health.

Sasuke bolted, his body bursting into motion just as the woman opened fire with whatever weapon she possessed. Thousands upon thousands of bullets, hard metal shells, rained destruction upon his previous position. The fire was soon tracking him, forcing Sasuke to run along the wall. He channeled chakra to the bottom of his feet as he moved in across the wall, defying gravity as if it were an everyday occurrence. The bullets from the machine gun that the blond woman was using were getting much too close for comfort. He needed to get away from that gun.

Damn, if only he had equipped that strange orb with all of his lightning jutsu then he could just blast them with a lightning dragon. His fire one would have worked just as well.

Looking for something to help him, Sasuke saw one of the warehouses up ahead. It was the one he hadn't partially destroyed.

Channeling more chakra to his feet, Sasuke bent his knees and pushed off the wall, soaring through the air just as the place he had been standing became riddled with bullets. He spun, corkscrewing and flipping around as he flew towards the roof of the warehouse. He hit the roof feet first, bending his knees and rolling forward just in case that strange vehicle had managed to turn around.

It hadn't. Sasuke turned to his head to see that that flying machine was moving higher into the air, far out of reach for even a chakra enhanced leap to catch.

As he was looking at the machine, his instincts shouted out a warning to him. Turning, Sasuke was just in time to see a shuriken blazing towards him. His body spun, twisting around as he sidestepped the shuriken, letting it sail passed him and continue on undeterred. He looked over towards where it had been thrown, and managed to catch a glimpse of a young woman with messy, shoulder length brown hair and a suit.

A whistling noise came to him from behind, the shrill sound getting louder and letting Sasuke know whatever it was it was coming towards him. He moved again, jumping towards his left as the shuriken the girl had thrown once again flew passed him. Sasuke didn't have time to retaliate in anyway as a large dark-skinned man with a bald head lumbered towards him, a fist cocked back to knock his lights out.

However, the man was slow. As he came in and threw his punch, Sasuke ducked under the blow, grabbing the man's extended arm with his right hand, then hooking his left hand under the dark-skinned man's armpit. With some chakra application and a large heave, Sasuke managed to judo toss the man away from him. Said man hit the roof, creating a small trench in the snow as he skidded across the metal paneling.

Sasuke had no time to pay attention to how his counter had turned out as a glowing blue electro-mag rod appeared in his face. It was only thanks to his experience as a shinobi that allowed Sasuke to duck under the blow, letting the strange stick with the lightning energy miss his face by mere centimeters, even then he could feel the hairs on his head stand on end from the static the rod generated.

He dropped into a crouch, pressing both hands firmly against the ground, then lashed out with a kick towards where his minds eye told him this new attacker was. A pained grunt was his reward. Sasuke stood up and turned to face his new attacker, a man with red hair who was now standing several feet away, a hand rubbing the left side of his torso.

"Man, you kick pretty hard," the red head complained. "Heh, but you've got nothing on that blond guy."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, intrigued by the mans words but not really caring enough to voice his curiosity. Instead he focused on looking around at all of his opponents. He was now surrounded; the girl with the shuriken was on his left, that strange red and black projectile that was similar but different from the Fuuma shuriken he used; the black man was on his other side, putting a pair of black gloves on his hands and cracking his knuckles; the red head was directly in front of him, electro-mag rod at the ready.

There were more people as well, the blond had dropped down from the flying machine some time ago and was behind him, standing in a taijutsu stance Sasuke had never seen. There were six more people in all, each of them carrying a variety of weapons, from hand guns, to machine guns, to swords. One man even had a large ax.

One of them men, a man with long black hair tied into a ponytail and a tilak on his forehead stepped forward. "Unknown assailant, due to your actions against Shinra Corporation we have come here to place you under arrest. Do not resist, or we will be forced to use force."

"Hnn..."

Sasuke's eyes darted around before centering on Tseng. A chuckle escaped his lips, which soon became full-blown laughter. The six rookie Turks shifted uncomfortably at the sound. It wasn't a laughter of happiness, there was no true emotion in it. It was hollow, the laughter of a man who had died a long time ago and whose body had yet to realize that fact.

"Something funny, pal?" asked Reno, an annoyed twitch in his eyes. He didn't like being laughed at, and he had enough trouble with people doing that at HQ ever since that blond had begun his reign of pranking terror. The last thing he needed was some psychopath laughing at him too.

"I just find it amusing that you all believe you can beat me."

Sasuke was looking at the ground, causing his bangs to cast dark shadows over the top half of his face, making it impossible to see his eyes. As the wind whipped up into a frenzy, he lifted his head, causing those who were able to catch a glimpse of his face to take a step back.

His eyes were no longer the onyx black coloring they had been. Instead they were now a deep red, the same crimson color as blood. There was a small ring around the center of his eyes, a circular path that had three tomoe centered on it. The tomoe rotated lazily, hypnotically, around the pupil.

Time seemed to slow down for Sasuke, the depth perception, clarity of vision and memorizing ability of the Sharingan greatly increased not only his reaction times, but also his perception of time itself.

Hidden by his sleeves, no one noticed the red glow of materia in his arm.

Sasuke, his Sharingan eyes spinning madly, grinned at Reno, who recoiled from the insane look in the raven haired shinobi's eyes. "You truly think you can take me on? Very well," he slid into his stance, the maddening grin becoming wider. "Let us see if you guys have what it takes to kill me."

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter now officially marks the end of the first arc, Enter the Sennin, and we will now be getting into the main story plot that starts during AVALANCHE'S first mission in the Final Fantasy VII game. <strong>

****First off, I would like to thank Darth Malleus for allowing me to use his Sasuke from The Good Left Undone as a template for this one. While I have no intention of taking my Sasuke in the same direction his seems to be going, I felt that this particular Sasuke always fit well with the one in the manga (if the manga ended up going the way I had it go). So, thank you.****

****Second, I would like to thank all those who will continue to read my story after the last chapter. I know some people are still skeptical about Sasuke's appearance in this world, but I have a plan that I'm sure won't disappoint.****

****Now, I do understand that some of you may be disappointed that Naruto was not in this chapter, but I feel this was an important scenario that had to be played, and Naruto, quite simply, was not a part of this particular sequence of scenes. I also felt it was a good way to end this arc. Don't worry, you will be seeing plenty of Naruto in the next chapter. He IS the main character, after all.****

****A/N: Now, someone asked me a question, but turned off their Private Messaging so I am being forced to answer here. This is for KIO (your name is too damn long for me to write), who asked when I am going to update my Harry Potter story. It is almost complete, I am currently halfway through chapter 18 and have about 3 more to go. Once I finish book 2, I will update it daily until all 21 chapters are out. I have high hopes for finishing it within the next 20 days or so.****

****A/N #2: I have decided to start recommending people to start reading stories that I feel are under appreciated. Therefore, I am going to suggest to everyone that they MUST read When Two Realms Meet, by Gavedin. It's a Naruto/To-Luv-Ru crossover, and one of the most well written stories I've read, and it deserves far more attention then what it's been given so far.****

****And now that all the explanations are out of the way, I will bid you all farewell.****

****Pokemaster12 out.****


	6. A2 C6: When Things Get Rough

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arc 2: The Battle for The Planet Begins**

**Chapter 6: When Things Get Rough**

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><p>"997... 998... 999..."<p>

The sound of counting could be heard on the small bluff overlooking the Gainsborough household. It was early in the morning – not that you could tell – and Naruto Uzumaki was doing his usual routine; waking up early in the morning, long before Aerith or her mother wakes up so he could get some exercise in before the day started.

Currently, the blond shinobi was doing hand-stand push-ups in the most unorthodox manner possible. Using extremely precise chakra control, Naruto was channeling chakra to his ring fingers as they in turn were being balanced on a set of kunai. It was one of the more difficult chakra control exercises, requiring that chakra be channeled to the single tenketsu point located on the very tips of the fingers. If it was channeled anywhere else in his hands, the chakra would be too localized and he would lose his balance, meaning he had to focus on ensuring that his chakra was only being channeled to that single point. At the same time he also had to worry about the amount he used; too little, and he would end up impaling his fingers upon the kunai, too much, and his fingers would blow out on him.

He would know, it had happened before.

To make things even more difficult, the blond was balancing seven large rocks on his feet. Each one was slightly larger then his head, and were of varying shapes and sizes. He was not using chakra to make them stick together, as that would defeat the purpose of this particular add-on. Naruto was trying to increase his sense of balance by keeping the rocks perfectly still, or as still as was possible when constantly doing push-ups.

This was one of the many exercises designed for him by his taijutsu trainers, Gai, Lee and A. With their help he had created a work out routine that was designed to make maximum the use of his ability to regenerate torn muscle tissue at a rapid pace. One could even say it was thanks to this very routine that he had become as strong as he was.

He also had to thank Kurama for fixing him up every time he ripped his body apart while training.

"1,000!"

As he reached the mark of his exercise, Naruto kicked the rocks off his feet, letting them hit the ground with several dull thuds, creating imprints in the earth. Then he bent his arms, and in a show of strength pushed his body into the air. He spun around on an axis, his body rotating like a top as he twisted and flipped through the air. As the ground came ever closer, the blond's body righted himself, so that when he landed it would be on his feet.

He hit the ground, his knees bending to absorb the shock of impact. A hand went to the ground, holding the blond steady as he went into a crouch. Then, he stood up, walked over to the now discarded kunai lying uselessly on the ground, picked them up and sealed them back inside of the storage scroll in his left forearm.

No sense in wasting perfectly good kunai.

Going through some basic stretches for his arms, Naruto walked over to the tree he had grown a while back and grabbed the towel hanging off it's branches. As he used the cloth to wipe the sweat off his body, he couldn't help but wonder at the amount of time that had gone by.

It really hadn't been all that long since he had arrived on Gaia, just short of half a year. His time on this planet had been relatively peaceful, with very few incidents happening that could be described as exciting.

Not that Naruto would ever complain about his life, he'd had more then enough excitement to last him a lifetime before coming to this world. Aside from that, while living with Aerith and her mother could not, and would not, be construed as 'action packed', his pretty brunette friend never failed to make life interesting.

There had been very little in the way of Shinra attempts at capturing Aerith after all of their attempts thus far had failed. It seemed they had finally learned better. Once in a blue moon, the company would send out a pair of Turks, sometimes even two, to make an attempt at capturing his friend. Naruto had actually made something of a game out of their abduction attempts, using his creativity as a prankster to come up with more and more outrageous ways of keeping the group of cutthroats and special operatives from getting close to Aerith. Needless to say, all of their attempts had ended in abject failure, and often times humiliation.

He knew that sooner or later, when time became an issue for them, they would send more soldiers in mass. But right now he wasn't worried. When they finally did decide to use more force, Naruto would be ready.

On another note, he had taken notice of the fact that several of the people Shinra had sent after him hadn't done so in a while. In fact, only Red, Rude and occasionally Cissnei had actually made any capture attempts on his friend. He would have wondered what that was about, but really couldn't care less as it meant he would not have to worry about anyone else going after Aerith.

The only thing else that had happened was when Naruto ran out of weapons and would have to go back to the blacksmith to place in and/or take out an order. Whenever he was there, the blond wold often find the time to speak with Tifa and Marlene. The busty brunette had become a pretty good friend to him, and had even felt a little more comfortable telling him about her past, though, since Naruto didn't visit very often their relationship never went deeper then distant friends.

Marlene on the other hand absolutely adored him. The little girl seemed to have trouble waiting for the days he would show up, often times pouting at him before telling him how long she waited. Naruto had been greatly amused when he realized that the girl actually did count the number of days it took for him to return.

She had also told him quite a bit about herself, granted it wasn't much, just that she lived there with Tifa and her father, whom Naruto had – surprisingly enough – yet to meet. Though he just chalked it up to the man being out a lot, and Naruto never really staying for long, lest Aerith skin him alive for coming home late.

A shiver worked it's way up his spine when he remembered the first time he had gone to 7th Heavens bar and come home late. Aerith had been most irate with him, and it had taken quite a few concessions to convince her to forgive him.

Really, sometimes that girl was scarier then Baa-chan.

With a shake of his head, Naruto threw the towel over his shoulder and walked over to the ledge of the bluff. He didn't stop there, however, and in a scene that defied gravity, the blond walked off the bluff, his body rotating as if pulled by gravitational forces attached to the rock wall. His left foot hit the ground, or wall, and Naruto began descending the bluff.

He made it to the flower garden, which was now filled with much more variety and more then just flowers. There were also several trees that Naruto had created with his Mokuton Materia, most of them were orange trees, but a few were growing lemons and one even grew peaches. They were Naruto's and Aerith's pride and joys, and something the two of them took great care to keep alive and healthy.

Navigating his way through the garden, Naruto walked across the plank that separated the flora filled island from the house, and then walked over to the door.

Entering, Naruto made his way to his room, throwing his towel in the dirty clothes hamper before walking over to the dresser located a few feet from his bed.

He opened the drawers one at a time, grabbing a pair of boxers, socks and pants, then went back to his door and grabbed the towel hanging off the rack.

Naruto proceeded into the bathroom, closing the door behind him before stripping off his sweaty pants and boxers. He turned on the water to the shower and stepped in, not caring about – or even registering – how cold it was.

He let the cold wash over him, before the water warmed up, the chilly sprinkles becoming much hotter. When the water was hot enough that it began producing steam, Naruto began to wash his body. By the time he finished cleaning himself the entire room was covered in thick steam.

Turning off the water Naruto stepped out the shower, grabbed his towel and began drying off. He made his way over to the sink, where he wiped away the steam that covered the mirror.

Not much had changed about him since he turned twenty-one. In fact, nothing had changed in his looks at all. Thanks to his Uzumaki bloodline, Naruto looked the exact same now as he did when he turned eighteen, and it would likely stay that way until he was in his forties according what information about the Uzumaki Clan he had managed to find.

On a side note, Naruto had been shocked to learn that Mito Uzumaki had already been over sixty when she had married a young Hasharima Senju.

His eyes soon strayed from his face to his chest. More specifically they went to the large scar located just above his heart. It was the one wound that Kyuubi had never been able to heal.

The scar had been given to him by his – at the time – best friend and teammate, Sasuke Uchiha, when the scion of the Uchiha clan had betrayed his village to Orochimaru for power. Naruto and a squad made up of newly minted Chunin, Shikamaru Nara, and several of the genin from his graduating class had chased after him down in order to bring him back at all costs.

Their group had tangled with the sound four, Orochimaru's elite bodyguards, and Kimimaro Kaguya, the last bone user with the Shikotsumyaku bloodline. With each new enemy they had been forced to face, the numbers of the Konoha group had slowly dwindled down until Naruto had been the only one capable of chasing after Sasuke.

Even to this day he could still remember their clash. While not as powerful or as devastating to the landscape as his later fights had been, at the time it had been the most epic battle he'd had.

It was also in that valley, with the statue of the two founders of Konoha, Hasharima Senju and Madara Uchiha, that he had received his scar.

Naruto could still remember what it felt like as Sasuke's Chidori had pierced his chest, the feeling of thousands of volts of electricity running through his body as his nerves were fried. The attack had not just gone through his chest, but pierced him all the out of his back as well. The blond knew that if he were to turn around and look at his back, there would be a nearly identical scar in the same position. Were it not for Kyuubi healing the damage done to him, Naruto was sure if he would died that night.

The scar served as a constant reminder to how stupid he had been back then, making a promise he couldn't keep when it would have been better if he had just killed the bastard. That he hadn't was something he would regret to his dying days.

A hand lightly touched the scar across his chest.

A single tear fell from his eye.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Aerith woke up with a smile on her face. This was not an unusual occurrence considering she was almost always seen smiling. However, during the past year, she found herself having a lot more reasons to smile.<p>

Well, technically it was one reason. But _he _gave her many reasons to smile so she could say she had multiple reasons.

Sitting up in her bed, Aerith took a second to take stock of her surroundings. The familiar room of pink looked the same as always, with a few more added decorations that Naruto had bought for her.

It was one of those reasons she smiled.

Raising her left arm above her head, Aerith's right arm latched onto the tricep of her left one. Stretching, the young woman let out a content groan, before releasing her arm and reversing their rolls. Likewise, her legs stretched out across the bed as far as they could go, loosening up muscles that had grown slightly stiff during her sleep. When she finished, Aerith swung her legs around until they were hanging off the bed and her head turned to look at the clock sitting on a shelf to her left.

0600.

It was fairly early – for her – but she had been trying to wake up before Naruto did. Aerith had no clue what time her blond companion woke up, though she knew it was fairly early.

Perhaps today he would still be asleep and she could surprise him.

Getting out of bed, Aerith stood and walked over to her door, opening and walking out before shutting it again. She made all due haste towards Naruto's bedroom, where she opened the door and burst into the room.

"Rise and shine Naruto!" She shouted. "It's time to... huh?" Her voice trailed off into a questioning tone as she looked around the room. Soon enough, a pout made it's way to her face as she realized that Naruto was already wake.

Just how early did he wake up anyways?

Sighing in disappointment since she still couldn't seem to wake up early enough to surprise the blond, Aerith shut the door to his room and made her way to the bathroom. pushing the door open, Aerith blinked in surprise when she saw massive amounts of steam pouring out. She waved a hand in her face, making an attempt at waving the steam away. It was as she was doing this that Aerith got a good look at who was inside of the bathroom.

Then her eyes widened.

Wearing nothing but a towel around his waist stood Naruto Uzumaki. He was still wet, showing he had just gotten out of the shower. His hair, while still retaining it's spiky nature, was more matted down due to the water dripping from it, bangs were plastered to the sides of his face and slightly covered his dazzling blue eyes.

His hair was only spared a passing glance, however, as the majority of her gaze was focused on devouring the top of Naruto's body.

There were many words people used to describe the physical features of another person. Attractive, handsome, athletic, muscular just to name a few. Aerith herself had always felt that Naruto fit these physical descriptions rather well.

Clearly she had been understating her thoughts.

Looking at him now, those compact, rock hard muscles that reminded her of chiseled stone, Aerith found herself at a loss for words.

Her eyes landed on a small droplet of water and she watched as it made a lazy trail down Naruto's neck, running over his clavicle and descending across his left pectoral. It ventured down, running across the hard cuts and angles of the blonds chest, before it reached his stomach, moving in a curve of bumps as it traveled across the well defined eight-pack abs before she lost sight of it underneath the towel that was wrapped around Naruto's waist.

If her mind hadn't short circuited, and she weren't so busy staring, she would have gulped.

Out of the instinct born from feeling the eyes of another upon you, Aerith looked back up at Naruto's face.

Green eyes met blue, and Aerith realized that Naruto had caught her blatantly staring at his near naked frame.

She did the only thing she could think of in a situation like this.

Aerith screamed.

Before anything else could be said she slammed the door shut, her hand clutching the door knob tightly as she tried to regain control of her now heavy breathing. As her body shivered uncontrollably from something other then feeling cold and decidedly less innocent, she shut her eyes and turned around, pressing her back against the wall and slowly sinking down onto her butt.

This was the second time she had seen Naruto in an undressed state. However, where as before she had left before her mind could truly register what she had been seeing, this time she had blatantly took in the sight of the blond before her. Not to mention that seeing Naruto after finishing a shower, dripping wet and in nothing more then a towel, was far more erotic then seeing him wrapped in bandages like a mummy.

Aerith groaned. She just new this was going to give her many an erotic dream in the nights to come.

God, why did her newest roommate and best friend have to be so damn sexy?

"Aerith!"

Said girl jumped as her mom's voice resounded through out the house. She heard footsteps coming up the stairs in a hurried manner.

"Aerith, are you alright?" Elmyra asked, her voice echoing from the stairs as she climbed.

"I'm fine mom!" Aerith replied quickly, not just for her mom's sake but for her own as well. The last thing she needed was for her mother to know she had just seen Naruto half naked. "I just thought I saw a spider."

….

A pause.

"Ok, well, when you're finished doing whatever you're doing come downstairs. Naruto must still be busy since he didn't make breakfast, but I've got some food going that should be ready in about fifteen minutes."

Aerith breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, I'll be right downstairs."

"And check Naruto's bedroom to see if he's still there and if so, tell him to come downstairs!"

Aerith blushed, already knowing where Naruto was, but still responded with an, "ok, mom!" For her mother's sake.

As the sound of Elmyra's footsteps receding came, Aerith breathed out a sigh of relief, having just dodged the bullet and spared herself from being embarrassed in front of her mom.

Her relief was short lived, however, as the door suddenly opened on her and she fell backwards with a gasp of surprised. Thankfully for her, she didn't fall far due to her back hitting a pair of clothed and slightly fleshy poles(?). Looking up Aerith blinked, then blushed, as she found herself staring into the amused blue eyes of now fully dressed Naruto Uzumaki.

"Ah..." It was probably one of the first times she found herself speechless.

"Did you enjoy the view?" asked Naruto, his lips upturned into a small grin as his blue eyes glowed with amusement.

Aerith flushed, her mind once more showing her an image of a half naked Naruto. Despite her embarrassment, however, she was not above responding in kind.

"Not really."

"Ouch," Naruto said with a wince. He then surprised the girl, bending down, placing his hands under her armpits and lifting her up, earning an indignant squawk from the pretty brunette.

"H-Hey! What are you doing!"

"Just helping you up," the blond replied, amused as he set the shorter girl on her feet. Aerith responded by turning around, placing her hands on her hips and giving him a mock glare. It merely served to further his amusement, as Aerith was so short she only reached up to his chest.

"Hmph!" Aerith huffed, turning her head to the side and closing her eyes. She cracked one open a second later, however, and at seeing the blonds infectious smile couldn't help but do so as well.

"So..." Naruto held out a hand to the girl. "Down to breakfast?"

"Yes!" She agreed, grabbing him by the hand and leading him downstairs.

They made it downstairs, where Elmyra had just finished setting the table. It looked like she had gone with a traditional Elemental Nations dinner, steamed rice and vegetables with eggs and terriyaki chicken. A truly incredible breakfast. Naruto was glad he had given her a book with all the recipes of the food he knew how to make.

The motherly woman looked up at the pair as they let go of each others hands and made their way to the table.

"I was surprised that you didn't make breakfast for us, Naruto."

"Sorry," the blond apologized, even though he knew the woman was actually pleased that he hadn't made breakfast. She was one of those weird people who just liked doing motherly things.

Like cooking.

"I was lost in memories."

Elmyra sighed. These two really were a match, outgoing and independent people with a penchant for speaking in mysticism.

"Well, eat up," she said, sitting down herself. "I'm sure you two have a busy day ahead of you."

"You've got that right," Naruto said as he served himself some rice. "I just finished making that flower cart so Aerith can carry more flowers to sell. And it looks pretty awesome, if I do say so myself."

The mother and daughter pair giggled at the blond, making him pout before deciding to just eat his meal with his remaining dignity.

Conversation was nonexistent after that. With everyone focusing more on eating then anything else. When they finished, Naruto grabbed their plates and made for the sink, where he proceeded to rinse them off and stick them in the new dishwasher he had bought for Elmyra with the money he earned selling Icha Icha Paradise.

He really could see why the old perv had sold his ero-novels now. They truly were gold. He had only released for the first book so far and he had already made over 20,000,000 gil. Just thinking about how much he would make once he released the other three novels made him giddy.

Maybe he should even begin thinking about writing his own Icha Icha series...

When he finished with the dishes Naruto made his way and outside to get the flower cart, while Aerith ran back up stairs, grabbed her jacket and began putting it on as she ran all back towards the front door.

"Bye mom!" She shouted, opening the door to see Naruto waiting with an admittedly beautiful white wagon. While the build itself wasn't very ingenuity, being only a basic four-wheeled cart, Naruto had taken a very creative license while making it, adding in phenomenally beautiful paintings of a village with hundreds of trees and a mountain with five faces on it.

"Bye, Aerith, Naruto! Have fun! And be careful!"

"Don't worry!" Naruto said with a grin. "It's us!"

"That's what I'm afraid of," responded Elmyra as the door shut behind the pair.

Little did any of them know that their days of peace would end starting today.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Concealed in darkness, Cloud gripped the side of the roof firmly as he touched two fingers to the hilt of his sword. The feel of the leather handle, so familiar against his gloved hands kept him calm and focused, a blank slate from which to impose any number or variety of actions or movements. The train car rumbled beneath him, large metal spires flashed by as it sped along towards it's intended destination.<p>

His destination.

He watched with the eyes of a hawk, hidden in the shadows above as the train pulled into the station. It was time for him to see how his companions measured up. To see if they truly had what it took to fight when their lives were at stake. When even a single mistake or a seconds worth of hesitation could mean death.

Upon the dark concrete platform two guards stood lazily at attention. Their red uniforms and darker russet coats rustled slightly as the hot gusts of smoke passed by, the train slowing to a stop before them. Cloud's eyes narrowed as he inspected them with a closer eye. Stitched upon their arms were smoke stained insignia, marking them as security hired by the Shinra Company.

His companions must have some insane luck, or they were just beneath the notice of Shinra. If those guards had been Shinra army then this mission would be far more difficult. And exponentially more dangerous.

Yawning, the guards readjusted their coats and walked slowly over to the front of the train.

Without warning, a young man dressed in brown combat fatigues launched out from between two of the cars. His red bandana whipped itself around in frenzied movements, like a leaf caught in the wind as Biggs quickly sprinted towards the guard closest to the front of the train, dashing through one plume of smoke after another.

The guard yelled in surprise, fumbling for the weapon at his side. Further down the platform, his companion pulled free his police baton and made to charge. But he was far too slow to do anything now. A sudden source of movement caught Clouds attention and he looked over to see someone emerging from the nearby roof of the train.

Jessie leapt from the shadows above, landing on top of the armed guard and slamming him into the pavement with a great deal of force. There was a loud crunch of the mans nose breaking, recognizable even over the scream he unleashed.

Hopping off the guard, Jessie rolled to on side, her body moving into a combat-ready crouch as she fixed her eyes on the guard. The man before her grunted in pain as he too rose up from the ground, albeit with less poise due to the injury she had inflicted – and blood on his face, and made to backhand her with his baton. However, with the guard already injured from the surprise attack, he was to slow to hit her. And Jessie ducked underneath the blow, a few strands of her brown hair rustling as the baton passed by a few inches overhead.

She dodged around another attack, sidestepping to the left and moved in to kick the Shinra guard in the head, landing a powerful blow that snapped the mans head back with such velocity that it looked like the man had gotten whip lashed.

The man fell to the ground, landing on his back with a dull thud.

He did not get back up.

Closer to the front of the train, Biggs continued dancing around the guards attacks as the man tried to hit him, taunting the guard for every miss. Cloud had to shake his head at this. His... companion may have talent, but he was far too engrossed in playing around to truly be a good fighter. When in a life and death battle, ending the fight quickly and decisively was always the best way to go.

The hard baton clanked, rebounding off of the side of the car nearby when the young man nimbly avoided the attack, stepping to the side. The young man seemed to enjoy playing with his foe, constantly moving around the guards attacks as he dodged, parried, and kicked the Shinra officer around. When another attack missed, the guard let out a roar and lashed out with increasingly faster attacks. Biggs just laughed and continued to dodge. The more the guard missed, the angrier he seemed to get. Each time he swung at his assailant, the man would move just slightly out of reach. Overwhelmed and furious at his own inability to strike the youth, the guard flailed about with sloppy, ineffective hits. Their duet continued along that vein until a deep voice roared out from the train's cockpit.

"Quit toying with the man and finish it, Biggs!"

The man with the red bandana froze with surprise, giving a sharp glance to the front of the train. Biggs then turned back to his opponent. The guard looked on, panting with exhaustion, baton weaving unsteadily near to the ground with fatigue. Sighing, Biggs decided to do as asked. His fist was a blur as he slammed the guard to the ground.

As Biggs and his ally mopped up the platform's defenses, Cloud decided that he had waited long enough. He placed a black fingerless gloved hand to one side, and then neatly flipped down to the dusty station platform below, going to one knee as he did. Brushing himself off, he ran at a fast but easy pace to his companions. His navy blue sleeveless sweater and dark combat pants hugged his form tightly, sacrificing none of his speed to the drag of baggier clothing. A single metal pauldron adorned his left shoulder, moving in time with the command of his muscles. Jessie turned and gave him a short smile as she joined him to run to the front of the train.

Barret emerged from the cockpit and motioned for them to follow, stopping only momentarily to reach back and smash the train's controls inside. The giant man's visage of anger and impatience gave him an intimidating appearance. A full black beard lay on his obsidian skin, and his tightly cropped dark hair hung motionless in the cool twilight air. Immense muscles flexed as he launched his form forward to lead the way, his open brown vest and dark green pants rustling slightly as he ran. One hand possessed a normally gloved fist, the brown glove had several rings around his wrist. The other hand was not a hand at all, but a steel machine gun that Cloud could see had been grafted directly into his skin. Cloud took his eyes off the larger man and looked towards the last of his... companions, following them as he huffed and puffed.

A nervous and rotund looking fellow followed as fast as he could in the larger man's wake. As Wedge jumped down to the station platform, he gave Cloud a sheepish smile. Cloud simply stared back and Wedge seemed to wilt before him. The round man turned away, sweating profusely in embarrassment and with the stress of the mission.

As they ran, Cloud considered the little man for a moment, and just as quickly dismissed him. What did he care about this person? He was just here for the money, nothing else mattered to him. He was not here to make friends, nor was he here for this groups propaganda. With a shake of his head, Cloud dispelled his thoughts and turned his attention back towards where it should be. On the mission.

Catching up to the others rather quickly, Cloud ran to the nearby security entrance that would lead into the reactor, underneath an arch of corroded steel.

When they all reached the entrance, they stopped and let the short man up to the front. The rusty brown gate was secured by an electronics panel forbidding entrance to those without passcodes. The man in the white sweat-stained shirt got to work, plugging a mechanical hacking device into one of the panel's outlets. As he scanned the segments of red code flashing across the small viewscreen, causing him to mutter under his breath.

"This is the dumbest idea I have ever gone along with."

Barret smacked him on the back of the head.

"Shut up, Wedge, and keep scanning for the code! We don't have time for your bitching."

Wedge recoiled and then looked up angrily at the big man.

"Damn it, Barret! Don't hit the hacker while he's working! We have to hurry before security figures out what's happening."

Barret scowled and looked away impatiently.

As Wedge typed in commands on his keypad, Cloud inspected the area. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Jessie watching him in the back of the group. Cloud was also a newcomer. Though the look she gave him was far different from the one she gave Wedge

"You used to be in SOLDIER, right?"

Cloud turned, gazing at Jessie. She was actually rather attractive, slightly reddish brown hair was done up in a ponytail. A red bandana covered her forehead, causing the bangs of her hair to hover above her soft, oval shaped face as they swayed in the light breeze. Her outfit was made up of a basic purple shirt with a form-fitting chest plate, two shoulder pauldrons, brown gloves with red bands around them, baggy brown pants and a sturdy pair of boots.

Having heard the question, Biggs decided to answer her.

"That's right, Jessie. He used to be in SOLDIER... It's pretty rare to find an ex-SOLDIER in a group like AVALANCHE."

Jessie shook her head.

"But isn't SOLDIER supposed to be the enemy? What's he doing with us in AVALANCHE?"

Biggs laughed, and moved to stand directly in front of Cloud. The blond man gazed at the young freedom fighter with a blank look in his eyes, mako infused orbs shining with cold regard. Biggs could only take that gaze for a moment, before he looked away, unable to hold his gaze. After a moments awkward hesitation, he turned back to look at Jessie and smiled as if nothing was wrong.

"Hold it, Jessie. I said he _was_ in SOLDIER. He quit working for them and now he's with us."

Biggs turned back to the ex-SOLDIER.

"What was your name again?"

He considered Biggs for a moment before answering.

"Cloud."

Biggs whipped out another charming smile.

"Cloud, eh? Pleased to meet you. My name is…"

"I don't care what your names are. Once this job's over... I'm outta here."

Biggs raised his eyebrows in surprise and then pointed a finger at Cloud's face.

"Hey, now…"

Barret stormed over to interrupt their conversation. Wedge had finished deciphering the code and the gate stood wide open beside him.

"The hell you all doin'! Standin' around here like a bunch of fools!"

Barret pointed up in the sky. Cloud gazed upward. Above them loomed the energy reactor. The giant cylindrical metal tube emitted greenish white fumes as they watched, filling the night sky with a teeming cloud. It certainly wasn't the prettiest sight.

"Our target's the North Mako Reactor. We need to need to get there as soon as possible so we can get this shit started. Now move it!"

Without argument, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie moved past him into the industrial complex. Their feet made not a sound as they broke into a run atop the stark concrete. As Cloud made to follow, Barret stopped him cold with a glare.

"Ex-SOLDIER… I don't trust ya. You mess up and there'll be hell to pay."

Cloud stared at him. After a moment, Barret grimaced, and sprinted into the complex after the others. Left alone, Cloud looked up. The reactor dominated the area, the Shinra insignia stamped boldly across its side. The grey metal looked lifeless, unfriendly. Cloud brought his gaze downward and then jogged into the complex.

The room Cloud found himself in with the others was sizable, but largely empty aside from an abandoned guard desk. Bulky grey piping ran along the sides of the walls, thrumming loudly as something moved within. The guards that had occupied the desk must have been the ones sent to greet and direct the train's shipment because there was no one there.

He idly wondered where all the guards were, surely those few who showed up to stop them weren't all they had?

Cloud didn't ponder any further on this, instead choosing to let his eyes rove around the room. Stale white lights sputtered overhead. Barret and Wedge had run on ahead and were dismantling the final panel that would allow them access to the rooms beyond. The door itself was old steel, several inches thick, adorned by a dull red light placed in the center. Biggs and Jessie roamed throughout the room, checking carefully for valuable information and any sign of cameras. As they looked, Jessie gave Cloud a small smile.

"Yo, SOLDIER boy! You ever been in a Shinra reactor?"

"Of course I have. I did work for Shinra at one point, you know," Cloud quickly shot back at the larger man.

Barret glared at him and Cloud could tell that the man was convinced that he needed to explain the situation. "The Planet's full of Mako energy. People here use it every day." Cloud showed no movement and made no remark so Barret continued. "It's the life blood of the Planet. But Shinra keeps suckin' the blood out with these goddamn machines."

"I'm not here for a lecture, so let's just get going."

Barret glared even harder at him until he turned away.

"Don't be such a stuck-up bastard," Barret yelled. "Tryin' to act all tough and shit!"

Before Cloud could respond, the panel gave a soft beep and clicked, the light diode on the secure doorway changing from red to green. Wedge smiled, looking back at Barret for a moment and received a nod in return. Wedge hastily withdrew his hacking device and waited for someone else to take the lead. Barret waved Cloud over as the door stood ready to be opened.

He moved into the next area, his footsteps light and quiet. A hallway opened up into the outside after a couple feet. Cloud made due haste to the other side, remaining as quiet as possible, and then looked around. Catwalks and rails lay ahead. Below them lay a great chasm.

Now standing beside him, Wedge leaned over the gap to see the extent of the reactor's roots. His fingers and knuckles turned white as he gripped the railing as firmly as he could. The metal sides shifted into hard, brown earth the further down his gaze traveled. The reactor went deep underground, so deep that it was impossible to even see the bottom of the chasm. Sickle green smoke wafted up from it's depths, gathering about near the base where stone turned back into metal. It swirled about slowly, but with purpose. Letting loose a shutter, Wedge stood back from the edge and looked about, seeking out where they were to go next.

From their building emerged a catwalk over the chasm that ran straight ahead to connect to the building across the way. Halfway across, an extension grew out of the side to connect it to the main reactor entrance to their right. Wedge forced himself to smile, and then made to walk forward past Cloud. The catwalk to the right was where they needed to go, and if he took the lead then the others would respect him more for it.

Before he could even get passed Cloud, a gloved hand shot out in front of him and pressed firmly against his chest. Halted in his tracks, Wedge looked down the the hand, then over to Cloud in confusion. Not understanding why the blond warrior was holding him back. Cloud raised an arm, one finger pointed ahead, across the catwalk in front of them.

Straight ahead, a few guards in scarlet coats were walking away from them into the building across the way. Wedge felt the blood drain from his face as he made himself stand stock still. The guards strode casually with their backs facing them, their conversation lively but unable to be heard clearly over the loud pumping sounds of the reactor nearby. Large black automatic guns were strapped tightly to their back.

Motioning calmly for Wedge and the rest of AVALANCHE to crouch down, Cloud watched the guards closely as Wedge gladly shrank back to the middle of the group. A few tense moments passed. Finally, the guards turned down a hallway far ahead of them and vanished out of sight. Cloud motioned Barret forward. Grumbling, Barret moved up the line. Wedge watched as Barret reluctantly went to a crouch beside the ex-SOLDIER. The big man clearly did not trust Cloud or value his assistance.

"What's up?"

Cloud pointed to where the guards were just ahead of them. Wedge followed the motion. The corridor into the other building appeared a sickly green as seen through the fumes rising from the deep.

"They didn't know about us. How could the hacking not have set off any alarms?"

Barret gave Cloud a toothy smile.

"That's why we're bombing _this_ reactor. Their maintenance has gone to shit in recent months, which is why they needed the mechanical supplies in that train we stole."

Barret gave Cloud a nudge on the shoulder, the force of it pushing the ex-SOLDIER up against the side rail of the catwalk. Wedge's heart leapt in his chest as he watched the exchange. Cloud re-assumed his footing with an icy glare. Shrugging, Barret backed off, but not without a parting remark.

"Learn your stuff, SOLDIER boy."

Without a word, Cloud looked away and gave the sign for all clear. They moved as quickly as possible without alerting the guards to their presence, moving ever closer to the actual interior of the reactor.

Jessie fingered the trigger of the small pistol concealed in her pocket, keeping one hand on it as she followed Cloud and the others into the entrance of the reactor. As she walked in, she drew back with some unease as she saw what lay ahead. Within was a solitary elevator painted black. It didn't help that the room was dark, possessing barely enough light to see. The stainless steel walls seemed to isolate and reinforce the fact that they were unwelcome.

Jessie moved up to the front, pausing only momentarily to inspect the elevator's down button closely. She quickly pushed it. A hazy red light appeared in its place. Silent as a shadow, she moved back to the main opening, watching the green smoke rise over the catwalk behind them. After a few minutes passed, the doors opened and they squeezed inside. The elevator was lit with a dull and dark blue light, the walls industrial and metallic. Upon pressing the button to go to the lowest floor, silence reigned.

Wedge cleared his throat.

Everyone turned their heads towards him.

He shuffled about nervously.

"So, why are we blowing a reactor up again?"

Barret's loud whisper appeared to cause Wedge to momentarily lose his hearing.

"I told you already! Pay attention, damn it! Biggs, you tell him."

Jessie watched with amusement as Biggs quickly pretended to be busy inspecting his fingernails. Barret leaned over and smacked him. Both Wedge and Biggs gave Barret a wounded look, and Jessie did her best to stifle a giggle. She was glad to see that at least some people were bonding. When they had first stolen the train, Wedge had looked like he was going to be faint, or lose whatever was left of his dinner. He looked much better now then he did at the beginning of the mission, even Barret didn't seem to scare him as much anymore. That smile soon faded, however, when she began considering the real outsider of their group. In front of all of them stood Cloud, his eyes looking straight at the door without acknowledging the presence of the others as they spoke. It was like he didn't even register their existence.

Finally, Barret seemed to realize that he wouldn't be able to bully Biggs into talking, and so took it upon himself to explain the reason for their goals.

"Alrigh', I'll tell you _again_, Wedge," Barret said as he folded his arms. "You'd better listen up, cuz I'm not gonna say it again. The planet is full of energy. The Shinra Company calls this Mako energy. The Shinra Company used their knowledge of harvesting this energy to become the primary power of the world, shunting aside those who did not know how or chose not to use the Mako. And their capital city is where we are now, the city of Midgar..."

Barret looked over at the Cloud for a moment to see if the spiky-headed white boy was paying any attention. He frowned, however, when he noticed the blond was still staring straight ahead, cool as a fuckin' cucumber.

"Shinra harvests this energy, and everyone in Midgar uses it every day. It powers our electricity, our heating, and the vehicles that people use above the plate that separates us poor people who live below from the rich people who reside above." Barret slammed the side of the elevator with one fist, "But this energy ain't limitless. It is the lifeblood of the planet. But Shinra keeps suckin' it all out with their damned machines. Little by little the reactors will drain the planet dry."

The elevator continued descending as they digested the information. Jessie noticed Barret looking at Cloud, who was still staring straight forward.

"What do you think of that, SOLDIER boy?"

"It's not my problem."

Barret gaped.

"But the planet is dyin', man!"

"The only thing I care about is finishing this job before before security and the Roboguards show up."

Barret fumed at Cloud, who didn't seem at all bothered by the man's ferocious glare. Jessie stared at the back of Cloud's head. She couldn't understand his indifference to what they were doing. Even if he didn't care about their cause, shouldn't he at least care about the reasons he was getting paid?

It wasn't long before they reached the bottom level. The exit lobby was empty. Steel adorned the ceiling, walls, and floor. Jessie swallowed back a quick burst of panic as she stepped out of the elevator. She tried not to fathom how many tons of solid, dark earth hung between them and the sky. To one side, Barret swallowed his anger and began to shoot off instructions.

"Alright people! We need to split up and deal with any guards who might be able to sound the alarms. Everyone should know their routes based on the maps we went over before we left. Once we get through, we meet up at the main reactor controls so we can blow this hunk of scrap sky high! Now pair up! Cloud and Wedge; Biggs and Jessie; and I'll go alone. Get movin'!"

They split off into groups and were soon stepping quietly throughout the network of tunnels and halls, the machinery and pumps echoing all around them as if they were in the gullet of a giant mechanical monster.

Cloud moved silently through the rooms as Wedge trailed behind. Their was very little in the way of resistance. No guards or soldiers of any kind. To Wedge, it was very disconcerting.

Wedge looked around curiously, trying to keep his mind occupied as Cloud led the way. As they descended further and further underground, the size and frequency of the piping seemed to increase with every step, weaving and tucking in an increasingly complicated pattern of dull, grey metal. As they moved deeper and deeper into the Mako reactor, the pair found themselves walking along railings that held them far above the pits below. The discomforting green glow became a reminder of just why no one should attempt to see how far down the chasm went.

Oddly enough, despite the unsettling surroundings, Wedge became increasingly more interested in his companion. The man was like a predator, prowling around with a power and grace that could only be gained through battle. Even though his massive sword must be exceedingly difficult to carry, the SOLDIER moved as if it he hardly even knew it was there. Every inch of him seemed ready to commit to an action at any moment, even though they had not yet seen a soul.

"Cloud, hold up a sec."

Cloud turned and stared at Wedge. Glowing blue-green eyes held Wedge in place, freezing him.

"Er... I just wanted to ask what it was like being in SOLDIER."

Cloud didn't even bother to answer the man as he turned and started walking ahead again. Wedge looked after the man in surprise, but soon ran to catch up. All around them machinery hissed and whined.

"I'm being serious here. Ever since I was a child I dreamed of being in SOLDIER. I mean, who wouldn't? We all grew up hearing stories where members of SOLDIER would travel to distant continents, traversing great plains and vast expanses of wilderness. I heard of SOLDIERS fighting against giant monsters single-handedly. I know that they work for Shinra and all, and they aren't the best people in the world. But being a member of SOLDIER was always one that garnered a lot of respect. SOLDIERs are always seen as heroes."

Cloud gave a short, dry laugh. Undeterred, Wedge continued.

"Well, that's the way Shinra tells it at least. I mean, hearing the things Barret has to say about Shinra makes me doubt that what I've been told is the truth. That's why I want to know, Cloud. What is it like? Truly?"

Cloud came to a stop. Wedge skidded his feet on the steel as he also stopped in surprise. Turning, the ex-SOLDIER looked at Wedge with the power of his Mako enhanced eyesight. The shorter man froze, feeling as if he had been swallowed whole. To Wedge, it seemed as if Clouds eyes were beginning to burn with a flickering green flame. It was only after several seconds, seconds which felt like minutes turning into hours, that Cloud finally spoke.

"SOLDIER... is nothing but a den of monsters."

And then he walked on.

Conversation was pretty much shot after that. Not that it mattered. A few minutes later, Cloud and Wedge met up with the others in a wide hallway. Before them stood the massive steel door separating them from the room with the reactor's controls. Two semi-conscious guards in red were sprawled before the entryway, groaning slightly as they fought to rise. Standing above them was Biggs, a boyish grin on his face. A groan brought his attention to one of the guards. Acting quickly, he slammed his fist directly over the guards head, rendering the man unconscious. He smiled over at the approaching duo. Next to Cloud, Wedge looked miserable. Shaking his head, Biggs walked over to him, launching a foot out as he did to knock out the other guard.

"You guys took your sweet time. I was beginning to wonder if you had run off."

Cloud said nothing. He didn't even deign to look at the other man, who frowned at the lack of response.

After moving the unconscious guards to one side, Barret strode over and told them both predictably to shut up. He snapped his gaze towards Cloud.

"It's your turn again, SOLDIER boy. Lead on."

Nodding, Cloud walked forward and hit the pulsing green button in the center of the door. The sound of groaning steel came to them as the gears in the door turned, opening it inch by inch, spilling an ethereal green light into the hallway that grew as the door rose. Ahead of them lay a massive circular room dominated by a coruscating green glow. The emerald luminescence shifted and flowed against the metal walls. A lone catwalk stretched out from the hallway to a tiny platform at the other end of the room. Yawning gaps on both sides sank into green mist.

Without any hesitation, Cloud stepped onto the bridge. As he did an intense feeling of vertigo came over the blond, surprising him with it's sudden entrance. Out of the corner of his eye, Cloud thought he could see something that could not be. It seemed almost as if the bridge was moving along with him, twisting and wavering in a distorted version of reality. The expanse of bridge ahead of him seemed to split into two, then three, and then began to spin. Cloud was forced to stop as his senses spun out of control. Shaking his head, Cloud tried to find some semblance of balance and order. His eyes closed and he took a shuttering breath.

"_Watch out_," a voice whispered in his head, "_This isn't just a reactor_…"

He opened his eyes. Blinking, he looked ahead. The bridge was no longer moving, the dizziness had passed, and the green glow shone steady on the walls and in the pits below him. He was on one knee, but couldn't remember when he had fallen over. Confusion overtook his mind as he tried to understand what happened.

"Yo, Cloud!"

Cloud turned his head. Barret stood behind him impatiently, gesturing for him to keep moving forward. The others were following, looking over the side of the rail at him. Biggs gave him an irritated look. But Wedge and Jessie looked concerned.

"Are you alright?" asked Jessie.

Barret scowled. "Who cares! Keep movin'!"

Cloud grimaced and shook his head again. Gritting his teeth, Cloud grasped the cold metal railing, savoring in the feel of something solid before pushing himself back to his feet. He walked forward, his strides strong and confident again as he tried not to let whatever had just happened bother him. His footsteps clanked loudly against the catwalk. A few moments later, he reached the end of the long bridge and beheld the controls to the Mako Reactor.

His eyes trailed the length of the console. Sliding levers, buttons flashing yellow one moment and then blank the next. He turned his head to look back at the others.

"When we blow this place, this ain't gonna be nothin' more then a hunka junk."

Barret handed him a timed explosive from one of his pockets and then looked at Cloud expectantly. Cloud stared at the device then at Barret.

"SOLDIER boy, you set the bomb."

"Shouldn't you do it?"

Barret shook his head and then glared at Cloud.

"Jus' do it. I've gotta watch and make sure you don't pull nothin'."

"Fine."

Cloud spent a few minutes rigging it to the reactor controls and attaching it to the piping underneath, out of plain sight. He tried to ignore the others as he worked. He wasn't concerned with them watching him. Truth be told, it was the first prudent thing Barret had done all day, as far as he was concerned.

His ears picked up nervous shuffling. He didn't know who it was from, but he could sympathies with them, a little. Despite having his eyes focused on nothing but the task in front of him, Cloud could feel that something wasn't quite right. It felt as though they were being watched.

It had only been a minute or since he started that he finished.

"Done."

Cloud made eye contact with Barret, and the larger man nodded. Barret turned back to the rest of the group.

"All right, we have twenty minutes everyone. Now let's get out of here before this sucker blows us all to hell!"

Without needing to be prompted more then that, Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie made a quick exit from the room, Barret in close pursuit. Cloud followed, his discolored brown boots clanging firmly against the metal grates. Not longer after Barret left, so too did Cloud.

With the need stealth now gone, the group sprinted as fast as they could back to the black elevator. As they ran through winding hallways of tubes and pipes, Barret could almost swear he heard something else in the tunnel with them, it's distant scuffling like the grating screams of anguished souls. Beginning to get spooked by the sounds, and angry that he could be freaked out so easily, Barret stopped and motioned for the rest of them to do the same as he arched his head to listen.

Wedge took this moment to rest. Hunching over he placed his hands on his knees, gasping for breath. Jessie patted him on the back, comforting him quietly as was her wont as the kind and caring person she was. Biggs was looking about nervously, whether he had heard the sounds Barret had remained to be seen.

Frowning, Cloud walked up to Barret, and in spite of the need they had to hurry before the reactor blew up, strained his ear to try and see if he couldn't discover what Barret had heard. As he did so, he took a moment to look around room they were located in. The place they found themselves occupying appeared to be a giant storeroom for various large gears, pipes and sheets of metal. Tidy stacks of such objects were scattered across the room.

A new sound soon reached them. Heavy clanking of metal on metal that drowned out the background noise of shrill whistles and the rumble of the reactor. The sound wasn't far off, and it was getting louder, as if whatever it was had decided to come after them.

Listening for a moment, Barret stood still as he considered their next course of action. He looked down at his wrist. Next to the giant black glove that covered his right arm, a watch with red text ticked slowly away.

Twelve minutes left.

Jessie rubbed her arms as if a sudden chill had entered the room.

"Guys, don't you think it's strange that there were barely any guards guarding this facility? Why would they have so few sentries guarding an entire reactor?"

Cloud considered her words, he had been asking the same question. If this noise was what he thought it was, then their answer would arrive soon.

Wedge walked over to Jessie and laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Maybe they don't bring out the big guns until after someone tampers with the reactor."

Jessie did not look at ease by Wedges words, if anything she looked worse off then before.

The metallic clamor was coming closer. Barret looked over at the tunnel that the sound was coming from, his face a mask of indecision and worry. The others looked on worriedly. Then, the clanging stopped.

Only Cloud had an idea of what was in store.

"It's here."

A sinister green and red light emerged from the exit they had come from, scanning the room slowly but completely from one side to the other. The interplaying colors began to near the group.

Using hand gestured to communicate silently, Cloud motioned everyone behind a large stack of gears. Carefully, Barret peeked out around the side. In the entrance, stood a massive, dark machine, it's glowing red and green receptor the only thing visible. Barret swore under his breath.

What the hell was _that_?

It had the appearance of a robotic scorpion, multiplied in size to be five times the mass of a human. Where normal eyes would be, rays of pale emerald and scarlet danced as they moved across the room. An enormous tail stretched out behind it, waving slightly in the shadows. Six powerful legs sprouted from both sides of its black steel carapace, holding it resolutely in the air. Suddenly, the scan turned from the opposite corner of the room to shine directly on Barret's face. He cursed, ducking back behind the gears.

"Shit, I think it saw me."

Biggs slapped his arm.

"Damn it, Barret! What the hell were you doing stickin' your big head out?"

"Shut up, Biggs! This ain't no time to be pointin' the blame. Now I want you, Wedge and Jessie to go on ahead and get the hell out of here. Me and SOLDIER boy will stay for a minute and take care of this ugly looking scorpion."

He received quite a few skeptical looks at the order. The only person who didn't respond with incredulity was Cloud, who simply didn't care because this was what he was paid to do.

It wasn't long before the sound of renewed clanking told everyone that the scorpion was moving in to take action. It came into the room, it's six legs moving in tandem. With one wickedly shaped mechanical pincer, it swept aside a pile of scrap metal nearby, pushing it away as if searching for something behind it.

The three members that had been ordered to retreat were no longer hesitant to do so. Biggs, Wedge, and Jessie moved quietly from stack to stack as they left the room, managing to just stay out of the scorpion's roving gaze.

Watching them leave, Barret gave a slow nod to himself. It was time to get to work.

Barret reached into is large pockets, pulling out a giant pack of ammunition. With the speed and experience of someone who had done this many times, he clicked the cartridge of ammunition into the small slot on the side. Now ready for action, he nodded to Cloud, hefting his gun arm at the ready.

"Now let's see what you're made of, SOLDIER b…"

Before he could finish, the stack of gears they were crouching behind exploded. Barret's world flew spun about in a dizzying manner as shiny metal equipment sprayed everywhere, sparking off the floor and bouncing off the walls. One particularly large gear dug a jagged furrow deep into the steel floor nearby, sending a sheet of sparks up into the air. Under the sudden onslaught, Cloud nimbly jumped aside.

Barret had less luck.

A number of small gears bounced off his skull and back as he desperately scrambled to get out of the way. He swore loudly as he ran from the robotic monstrosity behind him. The scorpion advanced quickly, shoving aside stacks of metal as it charged towards the large man with the gun-arm.

Barret moved as fast as he could, leaping over one silver gear, then skidding across another metal sheet. As he continued to move, he turned, spraying a hail of bullets at the pursuing monstrosity. The bullets sparked off the scorpion's blackened armor plates and ricocheted wildly around the room, creating a chaotic rain of flashes and sparking metal fragments.

Undeterred in the slightest, the scorpion ignored the ineffective hail of bullets, slamming one leg through the metal sheets before it, and slamming a stack of equipment out of the way with one giant pincer. Barret gritted his teeth as an old computer slammed against his back, causing him to trip to the cold metal floor. He looked around for Cloud in a panic.

"What the hell you doin' Spiky! Get your ass over here and earn your pay!"

Off to the left, Cloud rose silently, bits of metal falling off his shoulders. Held in both hands was his buster sword, the large blade gleaming from the reflection of the scorpion's scanner. Quick as a whip, Cloud dashed strait towards the mechanical monstrosity. As Barret continued unloading ineffective shots into the scorpion, Cloud leapt. Lifting the blade high over his head, he sent it crashing downward on the scorpion's pincer.

The monster recoiled, skittering to one side with astonishing speed. The left pincer sat to one side, askew and unresponsive. An enormous gouge was visible where the joint connecting it to the body used to be, sparks flying from the revealed machinery. Clanking, the scorpion skimmed away over the metal, its scanning colors now shining only on Cloud, who merely held his blade at the ready.

Barret grinned for a moment, and then spouted angrily as Cloud positioned himself between the monster and him. No way in hell was he letting this spiky-headed bastard show him up! Moving forward, Barret pushed Cloud out of the way, kicking metal sheets out of the way as he did.

"I can take care of myself!"

Cloud glanced at him for a moment, then reached into his pocket. A perfect globe emerged, a deep yellow stone streaked with jagged white lines woven across the surface. It nestled snugly in the palm of Cloud's hand. He tossed the globe to Barret, who caught it with his left hand and looked at the object with a blank expression.

After a moment Barret's eye twitched in irritation and he threw it back.

"The hell is this?"

Cloud gave him a blank look, seeming to question the mans intelligence. At least that's what the look said to Barret.

The scorpion began to move again, creating a deafening metal clang with each step of its six legs; several metal sheets were punctured by the spindly appendages. It was as the monster came ever closer that Barret noticed that the ex-SOLDIER's sword had two open spherical holes near the base of the blade. It was into one of these that Cloud inserted the stone.

The blond then turned to face the abomination of mechanical proportions. The scorpion stinger began to rise. Either not concerned or taking the creature's move up as a challenge, Cloud raised his own blade to his face, resting the flat end against his forehead. His golden hair began to rustle slightly, as if struck by a sudden soft wind.

With a suddenness that startled Barret, Cloud whipped his blade forward in a blur. A crackling bolt of blue and white energy coruscated and danced on the blade, shooting off to crash directly into the scorpion. The robot recoiled once more, the electrical discharge sparking wildly on the monster's armor plates. Rolling balls of fire and sparks shot off of the scorpion. Immediately, the scorpion lost control of itself and slammed into the wall nearby; sending a nearby stack of gears shooting all over the floor.

Barret gaped for a moment, astonished. He had never seen anything like that before in his life. Though he had heard of it, that orb must be one of those materia he had heard of before. Before he could begin to marvel at the power the small orb held, he caught himself. Shaking his head the large man got back on track.

Now was not the time to gawk at the ex-SOLDIER's bauble.

He opened fire, aiming at the robot's abdomen and hitting it with a wave of bullets. With a horrendous squeal of metal on metal, the scorpion fell to the ground, stunned. Cloud charged, lifting his sword with both hands to finish the monstrosity while it was down.

However, they would soon find that the battle was far from over.

As Cloud leapt to finish the monster, the scorpion moved with speeds that surprised and shocked the two fighters present. With its working claw it slammed into Cloud's midriff with incredible force, sending blond ex-SOLDIER shooting across the room. With a grunt of pain, he crashed into a pile of gears.

The scorpion skittered across the floor, it's speed was impressive considering the damage that had been done to it so far. It moved inexorably forward, prepared and seeming almost eager to finish the blond warrior off.

With a loud growl, Barret followed, clicking another hidden button on his prosthetic weapon. The chain gun whirred into a higher gear, spitting out hundreds of bullets at an unbelievable rate. The intense torrent of shells seemed to give the creature pause as some slugs managed to work their way through gaps in the armor plates, ripping into vital machinery as they went. The scorpion turned, it's single scanner seeming to glare at Barret in rage as it charged towards the man, causing him to yell in surprise and start backpedaling as fast as he could to avoid being crushed. After a few more hasty steps backward Barret tripped over a fallen gear, landing on his back. The scorpion skittered menacingly closer and raised its stinger. Barret winced and shut his eyes as the stinger surged forward at his face.

With a resounding clang, time seemed to stop.

Barret opened his eyes.

A gigantic sword filled his vision. In between the one remaining open slot in Cloud's blade, the stinger quivered, surging forward again and again as it tried to reach its target. However, Cloud stood to one side, his muscles straining as he held the scorpion's strength back with his own. He grit his teeth, sweat was beginning to roll down his face as he moved in front of Barret, the stinger stilled within the unused hole in his sword. With a grunt, Cloud let go of the sword's shaft with his left hand for an instant to move it to the flat of the sword on the other side. He crouched, his center of gravity strengthening from the new position. Behind him, Barret could only catch a glimpse of Cloud'sc back, and the large machine towering above the blond, trembling from the exertion as it tried to thrust it's stinger into Cloud's eyes. A swift form of movement shifted the paradigm of the battle.

Cloud pushed forward with a yell, twisting his sword to one side. With an unholy squeal of ripping metal, the entire tail of the scorpion separated from its body, the length of it still stuck in Cloud's blade. Sparks shot from the stump across the room like miniature bolts of lightning. Before Barret could even blink, Cloud ripped the tail clear with one hand and leaped atop the stunned monster's carapace. With a loud ripping sound, he plunged his massive sword into the center of the creature. The robot's crimson green eye dimmed and the machinery inside fell silent.

Panting from the exertion of battle, Cloud rested atop it for a moment, his hands holding still on the hilt of his blade as he leaned on it for support. Barret slowly stood back up, gaping at the ex-SOLDIER. Cloud drew the sword clear and hopped down in front of Barret, gesturing towards the exit.

"Let's go."

Cloud and Barret soon met up with the others, and the group once again began to run for the exit. As they did, only Jessie seemed to notice the grudging respect that their leader showed for the ex-SOLDIER. It wasn't in anything he said, but in how he acted slightly more differential towards the shorter, yet still imposing figure.

She wondered what had happened to cause this change.

Barret glanced at his watch and started bellowing.

"We've got just five minutes left! We have to _move_!"

Caught up in the frenzy of movement, Jessie made to run with the rest. Biggs and Wedge were both tripping over themselves in an effort to escape, with Barret trailing just a little behind them. Cloud was following them from the rear with Jessie, using long, powerful strides to keep his pace. The group ran through hallways and tunnels, frantically trying to make up for lost time. They moved down one winding corridor of piping after another, time mixing into a blur as their escape took on a new meaning for them.

After a time that was almost interminable, they reached the black elevator, its sable doors seeming to suck in all light like some dark vortex. Desperately, Biggs pushed the call button again and again. The entry opened, and they all shuffled quickly inside. The ride up seemed to be much slower then the one down, a crawl in comparison to a run. Every member of the group anxiously looking at Barret's watch tick slowly away.

The doors opened.

Two minutes left.

"Run!" Barret bellowed.

Biggs and Wedge took the lead once more, looking ridiculous as they tried simultaneously to outrun the other. Barret growled as he ran, sweat running in rivulets down his fiery and determined face. Cloud was like a wraith, moving swiftly and silently. A mere shadow to mask there presence.

As they reached the catwalk, the footway shook with a rumble, causing Barret to roar as he lost his footing. Jessie caught her own fall with a hand on the rail. She stared at Barret, fear dawning on her. Horrified, Barret looked down at his watch as he rose. Biggs shouted at him.

"Barret! You just had to set your watch late, didn't you?"

The rumbling of the complex caused the catwalk to warp and move beneath them. The grates in the bridges ahead now seemed to yawn openly. Cloud nimbly skipped and leaped over the worst of the gaps. Jessie made to follow his lead, but was not so lucky. Her footing got more and more unsteady, and when she made to leap over a large hole, her footing betrayed her as she landed. The solid grate that she stood on gave a sudden lurch, the only warning she had before it fell down the chasm, her leg falling through the hole it left.

Stuck with one leg in the hole, she cried out in a mixture of pain and fear. The chasm below seemed to shake along with the complex, the green mists writhing as if in pain. She looked up desperately. Biggs and Wedge were beyond hearing. Barret turned back and gave her a look of anguish. Her heart fell, and she turned ashen. She understood. There was no time to come back for her.

Biggs and Wedge were already gone, far beyond her ability to see them as anything more then two specks. Barret turned to look at her, an anguished grimace on his face. Her heart fell, face paling as she realized what that look meant. There was no time to come back for her.

Wait a second.

Where was Cloud?

With a metallic slam, he landed next to her, balancing his boots between the gaping metal grates nearby. With a loud slam of boots on metal, Cloud landed right next to her, balancing himself between the gaping metal grates next to her. She watched with astonished awe as he reached his hand out to her.

Blazing flames whipped out of the Mako Reactor behind Cloud as it exploded. With a cry, Jessie hurled her right arm to him. Grasping it firmly, he pulled her out of the hole, lifting her and carrying her as he did, sparks and small flares bounced off his neck and back. Half mad with relief, she held him tightly as he ran.

Behind them the catwalk collapsed, sending shards of metal fading into the dark emerald depths below. Looking over Cloud's shoulder, Jessie's eyes reflected a world enveloped in flame as the grey lifeless reactor belched jade smoke no longer. Instead, a gigantic sparking fireball rose ominously into the sky; appearing to envelop the world in its dark orange light.

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><p><strong>Alright! So here we are, I'm all done with this chapter. I get the feeling some people are going to be annoyed that I put AVALANCHE'S scene in here, but, as I always say, I like to show what happens, rather then just tell you all after the fact. Personally, I feel people who don't show stuff like this in their work because it was 'canon' are just lazy.<strong>

**But that's all just personal opinion.**

**A/N: Now it's time for my story pick of the day. This particular story is one that I feel truly embodies the act of 'show, don't tell' that I always try and put an emphasis on in my stories (and my reviews). It's a very well written story that I feel has no where near the amount of reviews it truly deserves. Therefore, I want all of you to read and review the story The Art of Appropriation, By AlphaDelta1001.**

**And now, I would like to bid you all adieu.**

**Pokemaster12, signing off.**


	7. A2 C7: Arising Problems

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arc 2: The Battle for The Planet Begins**

**Chapter 7: Arising Problems**

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><p>(That morning – before the AVALANCHE operation)<p>

Naruto and Aerith were seated comfortably on a bench in the train as it ascended to the plate above. Aerith was sitting on Naruto's left, her body close enough to the blond's that their shoulders were touching. She had leaned over, placing her head on his shoulder where she allowed it to rest. As a reciprocal gesture, Naruto's head was on top of hers, eyes closed and breathing even. He seemed to be asleep.

In front of the pair was the white flower cart that Naruto had crafted for her. While the cart was somewhat basic, the design was rather intricately made, with gleaming silver wheels and sturdy framework. The cart itself was polished to a shine, the bottom portion had been painted to resemble the very flowers she was selling. On the inside, nearly five hundred flowers sat, their beautiful, multi-colored petals giving off a calming scent. Naruto had placed his feet on either side of one of the wheels to keep it from moving.

Aerith shifted slightly, her eyes moving from the cart to what she could see of the body she was leaning on. A smile made it's way to her face as she wondered what other people must think of them. Perhaps they thought she and Naruto were a couple? She giggled silently. It was a nice thought, one she wouldn't mind making a reality.

Her eyes landed on the blonds left hand, resting against his knee, palm down. Aerith shifted again, reaching out with her right arm. The back of her hand slid across the fabric of Naruto's dark pants, then worked it's way under her companions hands. His were much larger then hers, engulfing her smaller appendage easily. She pressed her hand against his, sizing them up and admiring how they felt. His hands were surprisingly soft. It was amazing to her, considering how strong she knew these hands were from the amount of work Naruto did around the house. Aerith smiled as she slid her fingers in between his, lacing them together.

After a moment or two, Naruto shifted, his hand reciprocating her gesture. His fingers engulfed her hand. He turned their conjoined appendages on their side, letting them rest on his knee as his thumb began to trace soothing circles on the back of her hand.

They stayed that way as the train continued to chug along the tracks. They had long since ascended above the plate, which was easily noticed by the suns rays that shone through the windows of the train. Moving before them in a blur were the many buildings that made up this part of Midgar. Being on the surface, the structures were no longer hovels cobbled together from spare parts, instead they were made of brick and mortar, metal and glass. All of them varied in shape and size, but still retained the same general square shape with only a few noticeable differences. They still weren't very attractive to look at, as far as Naruto was concerned at least, but they did look like actual buildings if nothing else.

The train stopped when it reached it's intended destination, an announcement following the termination of the long vehicles movement. Naruto and Aerith separated, stretching their bodies out in near identical fashion before they began to exit the compartment. Aerith grabbed the flower wagon by the handle and began pushing it out, her blond companion following just a foot or two behind.

As they stepped out into the light the pair blinked. It was always hard to adjust to the sunlight that shone down on the upper plate when you've lived in the slums for most of your life. Naruto recovered much more quickly, not only due to his regeneration factor, but also by stint of not having lived in the Slums for very long.

He also made more frequent trips to the upper plate when he got his monthly payment for the Icha Icha books he sold. But Aerith didn't need to know that.

They walked down the crowded street, hundred of bustling people all moving through the traffic filled walkways. Cars were driving down the brick road, and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle when he remembered the first time he'd seen one of the wheeled vehicles.

It had been an amusing event to say the least.

His head turned skyward, tilting as his eyes landed on the largest structure near them. It was one of the Mako Reactors, which powered this section of the city. Much like Shinra Headquarters, the Mako reactor was an ugly contraption. A monstrous tower of steel, it's towering structure belching acidic green fumes from the exhaust at the top. Shaking his head, Naruto looked back down to a much more pleasant sight.

Aerith was walking directly in front of him, pushing the cart along. Already several people had noticed her in the crowded traffic, more then likely drawn to the wagon filled with flowers. A few of the women they had passed, middle aged women, had even bought a few. Flowers were a rarity in Midgar, after all, and with the wide variety his friend now possessed via his Seikaton (Life Release), the new name he had come up with for his ability to control wood and plants, she possessed enough different types of flora to create several different styles of beautiful bouquet.

His eyes traveled from the back of her head, down to her shoulders, and then even lower. Naruto unconsciously found himself staring at her hips as she walked. The dress she wore ruffled slightly, moving in sway with her derriere. Thanks to the amount of walking she did on a daily basis, Aerith had a very, very fine ass. It was firm and petite, a small peach-shaped buttocks that moved ever so slightly with each step she took. Naruto had to force himself to look back up, lest his mind take him to places he knew he shouldn't go.

Arriving at their designated spot, a small corner of street where the traffic thinned out slightly, Aerith began her task of selling flowers. Naruto took a moment to move into a small alley behind them, his hand reaching into the pouch on his left hip. It only took a small application of chakra, and his mind calling up the materia he wanted, before the orb in question was in his hand. He brought the object out, raised his arms and pushed the materia into his right forearm. When it sunk all the way in he relaxed, then flared his power.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

Three clones appeared around him, the most he could currently make and still move and act like a normal person. Naruto had learned early on when training to use this jutsu to it's maximum potential, that the more clones he trained to use, the harder and longer it took for him to use them effectively. Each clone seemed to add an exponential level of difficulty, so much so that even after a half a year's worth of training, three clones were the maximum he could use.

Not that he needed to use anymore. The more clones he created the less power they had. Three clones meant his chakra was being split by fourth's. That was still a lot of power, with the amount of chakra Naruto possessed one-fourth of his power was equal to that of the first teacher he had when he became a genin, Kakashi Hatake. However, many of the higher tier Turks he had run into had power that could be comparable to his venerated Jonïn Sensei.

It was a damn good thing they had never dealt with a ninja as unpredictable as him.

His clones already knew what he wanted, and even if they hadn't it would have only taken a mental command to get them moving. The three copies jumped onto the walls, sticking their with chakra and proceeding to run onto the roof. Once they got their they would make use of the Meisaigakure no Jutsu to camouflage themselves, and then set up a perimeter around him and Aerith.

Naruto walked back out of the alley, his mind absently scanning the images that the eyes of his clones presented to him as they moved. He leaned against the wall, gaining a slight smile on his face as he watched Aerith while she worked. It would be a few hours later, when the midday sun was high in the air, that his friend would decide to stop for lunch.

Smiling as Aerith pushed the cart up to him, he asked, "so how did we do today?"

"_I _ended up selling nearly two hundred flowers already," Aerith said with a grin as she emphasized the word 'I' as she spoke. She looked at Naruto with a playful glare as she placed her hands on her hips and continued. "_You _didn't do anything, just stood there like a lemon."

"How could you say that to your faithful bodyguard?" asked Naruto, adopting a hurt look as he placed his hands over his chest, clutching his shirt as if he were experience great heartache. "Aerith, you wound me so."

Aerith mocked scowled at the blond and gave him a playful shove. Naruto snickered as she looked at him with a mock glare, and eventually, Aerith let out a giggle of her own.

"So, where are we going to lunch this time?" asked Naruto as they began walking down the street.

"Hmmm... I don't know," his companion admitted with a shrug of her dainty shoulders. She looked over at him and smiled. "I was thinking of letting you choose today."

Naruto perked up at this. "Really?"

"Really."

A grin made it's way to the blonds face as he began leading the way. He had a particular destination in mind. Above them, his clones followed, hopping from building to building, their forms nothing more then a blurring of light as they hid under the cover of the Meisaigakure no Jutsu.

It hadn't even been a month into his arrival on Gaia that the blond had discovered that, much to his undying horror, Ramen did not exist in this world. After going through the initial stages of Ramen withdrawal; those being denial and isolation, anger, depression, and finally, acceptance, the blond had made it his life goal to either open a Ramen stand, or find a food he could use to at least make an attempt at replacing the delicious noodles.

Unfortunately, Naruto did not know how to make Ramen, it was depressing, and many a night he had sworn left, right and center on his own stupidity about not learning how to cook Ramen when he had been given the chance. However, he had found a decent replacement for his favorite food, even if it was still far beneath the food of the gods.

That food was pizza.

It wasn't long before the pair reached the diner style restaurant. A white and red building that was smaller then most. Instead of brick it was made of metal. Above the entrance, a pair of double-doors, was a large, glowing, neon red sign that said 'Dan's Diner' in a loopy formatting.

Naruto and Aerith, cart in hand, walked towards the building. Arriving first, the blond shinobi opened the doors and stood to the side, allowing Aerith to enter. She thanked him with a smile and made her way passed the doors, Naruto following a second behind her as he let go of the door. He walked up to the host, a young woman in a white and red collared shirt, a white skirt and, of all things, a pair of roller blades on her feet.

"A seat for two please."

The hostess, whose name tag said Adrien, eyed the blond and blushed. She then looked at Aerith, her eyes hardening just enough to let Naruto know the woman was jealous of his companion – which amused him since this woman didn't even know him. It was always funny to see how some women acted around him, it had been the same way back in Konoha.

It seemed that no matter what planet you were on, fan girls were everywhere.

Then the woman got an eyeful of the cart and she gained a 'what the fuck' look. It was almost amusing to watch the hostess as she stared at the cart full of flowers with a look that would have been more appropriate on a druggy who was hyped up on crack. Thankfully, the look didn't last long as she seemed to remember her professionalism and shook the distraction of seeing a cart full of flowers off.

She looked back at Naruto and blushed. "Would you like a booth or a table?"

"A booth, please."

"Right this way, sir... ma'am."

Aerith raised an eyebrow at the tone the hostess used to say 'ma'am', it sounded almost hostile. She turned her head to look at Naruto, the quizzical look still on her face. He just gave her a slightly sheepish grin and shrugged, before moving to follow the hostess. After a few seconds of staring, Aerith also followed the woman as she led them passed several tables and gave them a small booth in the corner of the room. Naruto sat on one side and Aerith took the other, scooting into her seat.

The hostess then began speaking in a slightly monotone voice, as if she were reading from a script. "Here are the menus, your waiter should be with you soon. Have a nice day." She handed the pair a set of menus and quickly left, wheeling away on her roller blades.

"So what are you having?" asked Aerith as she took the menu and opened it up.

Naruto hadn't even touched his menu.

"Pizza, with all the toppings."

"Of course." Aerith rolled her eyes slightly. She should have known that was what her friend would get. If he could get away with it, she was sure that Naruto would eat Pizza everyday.

Her eyes scanned the items on the menu. Most of the foods were dough based, such as Pizza, Spaghetti and Meatballs, Lasagna, and ravioli, all of which was served in a tomato sauce. There were a few other types of food, however, such as hamburgers and fries, but not many. Aerith, always being one who enjoyed trying new things, decided on getting something she never had before.

When the waiter came up they both placed their orders. When the waiter walked off, Naruto looked at his companion and raised an eyebrow. "Orecchiette?"

Aerith shrugged. "It's different, and I've never had it before."

"Fair enough," Naruto said.

Conversation deviated after that, a comfortable silence engulfed the booth. Aerith looked around the diner and all of the other people sitting in it. She and Naruto didn't go here very often, mainly because Aerith was normally the one who picked where they would eat, and she tended to prefer open cafes where she could sit outside and watch the people walking by. Still, there was something to be said about the quaint little diner.

Aerith turned her attention back to Naruto. His left forearm was leaning on the table, his fingers were absently tapping a small beet against the polished wooden surface. He had his right elbow propped up on the table, his head planted firmly against the butt of his palm. Looking out the window, Naruto's eyes had a glazed over quality. His eyes seeing things only he could see.

"Thinking about your past?"

At the sound of Aerith's voice, Naruto turned his head and focused on her. He gave her a sad smile before nodding. "I was just..." He trailed off for a second, eyes misting over slightly. "I was just wondering how they all were, whether they were safe or not."

"You miss them." It wasn't a question, and both she and Naruto knew it.

"I do," Naruto nodded. Running his left hand through his hair, he sighed. "It's hard not to. I grew up an orphan, and so when I began to finally gain acceptance and make friends, they didn't become _just friends._ They became extended members of my family, bound not through our blood but through our interactions, through the ties we shared with each other."

It was hard seeing Naruto like this. When he had first come to this world, the blond had been like this, but through his interaction with the independent and outgoing Aerith, Naruto had begun to heal. However, occasionally, his somber mood would return and his mind would turn towards the people he left behind, and the war he had been fighting, which as far as he knew, was still being fought without him.

Ironically enough, Aerith couldn't help but find the similarities and differences between Naruto's emotional shift and _his_. Her blond friends change of attitude had happened in the same yet exact opposite way as her ex-boyfriends, who had gone from a carefree and flirtatious young man, to the somber and slightly serious guy he had become. It was an odd dichotomy, they were so alike yet their differences were also plain as day.

"Would you go back to them?" When Naruto turned his head, looking at her quizzically Aerith flushed, slightly. "I mean your own world. Would you go back if you had the chance?"

Naruto didn't answer her for the longest time. The food had arrived and the waiter left, and he still didn't answer her. She was just starting to get nervous, thinking she may have overstepped her bounds when the blond shifted. His left hand came up and placed itself over her right, grasping it. She looked from the hand to his face in wonder. Naruto smiled and shook his head.

"I'm happy here."

It was a simple sentence, but those three words brought Aerith no small amount of relief. She sighed, her hand turning in his so she could curl her fingers around the much larger appendage. She gave it a squeeze before they both let go on mutual consent.

They didn't want to eat their food when it got cold.

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>It happened far too quickly for her to truly grasp the situation. One minute she was selling her flowers, Naruto standing just a few feet away playing with a stray dog that had been sitting on the side of the street. She had almost finished selling her flowers, and was now only down to about a dozen. It really had been a good idea to get a wagon so she could sell them, she would really have to find some way to thank Naruto later.<p>

Then it happened. The large Mako reactor nearest to them had gone up in a gout of flames, exploding and sending a spray of fire and brimstone onto the city below. Large chunks of metal debris had plummeted into the street, destroying buildings and scattering people left and right. Following that had been the shock wave, a large blast of hot air that seared the skin and knocked many of the civilians flat.

Several people had died from the shock wave and raining debris.

Many more had been killed when panic set in and they were trampled by their fellow citizens.

Aerith herself had been lucky, the place she had been standing to sell her flowers had gotten progressively less crowded as day had turned into night. She hadn't needed to worry about getting trampled. It hadn't even been the shock wave that had knocked her down, but Naruto.

Which was why Aerith found himself lying on the ground in a daze. Laying himself over her was Naruto, elbows on either side of her head as the blond held himself up, his body protecting her from falling debris. The back of his clothing had been burnt off by the heat of the shock wave that had passed, his skin singed and melted. Yet even as he lay there, his flesh was knitting itself back together. The melted skin flaking off as new, healthy looking pink skin took it's place.

Naruto pushed himself back into a standing position, standing over Aerith with a concerned look in his eyes as he gazed down at her. He held a hand out to her. "Are you alright?"

"Yes..." Aerith said, though her voice was still dazed. She blinked several times, clearing the white spots out of her eyes, then looked at Naruto's hand. When she saw it, she didn't hesitate to take it, letting the blond male pull her up. She shook her head several times to clear it. Why were her ears ringing?

Naruto's eyes looked her over, checking to make sure she wasn't injured at all. While he could not find anything beyond a few scrapes and bruises, which she most likely got when he had knocked her down, her clothing was quite dirty. The blond began patting the dirt off her clothes, causing Aerith to flush slightly at the attention.

She tried not to think on how caring Naruto was, instead looking at the street and the chaos around them. "What happened?"

"The Mako Reactor blew up," Naruto said absently, it was clear his mind was miles away, likely already trying to work out the problem. "It could have been a malfunction or a deliberate act by someone who holds a grudge against Shinra." Sage knew there were plenty of those. "I can't say for sure."

"But you intend to find out," Aerith finished, already knowing where this was going. Naruto, much as he may try to deny it, had a heroic streak a mile wide. If something happened that threatened her safety, or the safety of those he deemed innocent, then he would not rest until he had done everything he could to help.

Naruto looked at her, his beautiful glowing blue eyes staring back at her. His hands grabbed one of hers and raised to his lips, where he placed a gently kiss on it. "I'll be right back," was all he said before heading out, leaving a flustered Aerith in his wake.

With nothing left to do, and wanting to do something to get rid of her embarrassment the blond's intimate action had caused, Aerith began to look around her wagon. She found buried under a large steel pipe, the front half of it crushed under the bent metal object. A sigh escaped her as she realized that she would need a new one. Not that it would be a problem, Naruto would gladly make another one for her, but this had been the first day she had used it. She hoped this wouldn't become a trend.

Kneeling down next to the cart, Aerith tried to see if any of it was salvageable. It wasn't, most of it had been crushed, and it wasn't like she could just take half the cart and leave the rest behind.

As she continued her examination of the cart, her eyes caught sight of some flowers that had escaped the destruction. There were six all totaled, two roses; one red and one white, a daffodil, a tulip, and two orchids. Reaching her hand into the cart, Aerith grabbed the flowers and began checking to make sure they were undamaged. When she was sure that they were fine, she stood up and took a look around.

The streets were almost abandoned now, only a few people were still around, running about every which way in a state of panic. There was a lot of debris, large metal structures that had fallen from the sky when the Reactor had exploded. They lay in the street, some sticking straight up from where they had indented deep into the roadside. Among the rubble lay the broken bodies, people who had been trampled in the wake of the chaos the explosion had caused.

While this was not the first time Aerith had seen the bodies of the dead, it was the first time she had seen death in such quantities. Feeling not only a little queasy, but also deeply saddened by the amount of death that had taken place, she sought to take her eyes away by looking up towards the sky.

Several of the larger metal structure that had rained down on Midgar had landed on top of the various buildings in the street. Large girders and steel spires were embedded into brick framework, the broken walls caused by the Reactor pieces caused more debris to pile the streets. High above the buildings, the Mako reactor no longer belched it's noxious green fumes. The entire top half of the structure was missing, large portions of the towering monstrosity of Shinra still had smoke rising into the sky, a large billowing cloud of it that had taken the shape of a mushroom head.

Aerith didn't quite know what to think as she gazed at the sight of the destroyed Mako Reactor. On the one hand, she didn't approve of taking the life energy of the planet, yet on the other, the amount of innocent people that had been killed was catastrophic. Just on this street alone Aerith could see at least a dozen bodies of people who had been trampled to death, and who knew how many had actually been killed by getting crushed by falling debris. In the end, she found she couldn't approve of what had happened. Surely, there had been a better way to destroy the reactor then blow it up.

With a sigh, her gaze traveled back downwards and her eyes lit up as she caught the sight of spiky blond hair.

"Naruto!" She quickly ran over towards her friend as he walked down the road. "Naruto do you know... know..." she trailed off as she realized that the man standing before her was not Naruto. Though he could pass of as her friends twin brother due to how similar they looked.

However, there were several distinct differences between this man and Naruto. For one, Naruto was much taller then this guy, by a dozen centimeters at least. His hair was also slightly different. It was still spiky, and there _were_ quite a few bangs hovering over his eyes, but in the back of his head the man's hair swept back slightly, with smaller spikes running horizontally across his head and ending in a small point. Whereas Naruto's hair was just a spiky mess all over.

His choice of outfit was also different. Naruto normally wore a pair of black cargo pants, with white bandages wrapped around the bottom half. A dark blue zip-up sleeveless shirt, black gloves with metal plates along the knuckles, a pair of sturdy black combat boots, and his ever famous leaf insignia forehead protector.

This man was wearing simple pants with a sleeveless shirt, both of which were indigo in color, and a belt with two large straps that connected to it and went over his shoulders. He also had on a pair brown boots and gauntlets with a single pauldron over his left shoulder.

There was also this mans sword. The sword was, in a word, massive. From tip to handle it was approximately five to six feet long with a single-edged blast approximately a foot wide. Two holes were in the sword near the handguard, which was a gold-silver color, and the handle was long enough to be gripped with both hands. The sword also had an ornate swirl design on the handguard and engravings on the back end of the blade.

The final differences between Naruto and this man were small in comparison, but to Aerith they were the most significant. Firstly, this man did not have those utterly adorable whisker marks. His face was perfectly smooth. And the second were his eyes. While his eyes glowed brilliantly in the night, they were a greenish blue light that was different from the naturally glowing eyes of her friend.

There were Mako eyes.

The eyes of SOLDIER.

Aerith took a deep breath to calm herself. She was quite surprised to find not only a Naruto look a like, but also one who was a member of SOLDIER. Despite this, he didn't seem to know who she was, so she put on a smile and said, "sorry, I mistook you for a friend of mine."

The man looked at her, there was an uncertain frown marring his face. His eyes were alight with confusion, yet there was a sense of familiarity to them, as if he had seen her before but couldn't quite place where. After a moment or two the blond shook his head, his hair swaying slightly with the sudden movement.

"Don't worry about it," his voice was rough, it's quality and timber were similar to Naruto's, yet gruffer. Where her whiskered friend's voice was often warm and caring, this one was an unusual combination of cold and... confused?

Deciding to get some information from this man – since Naruto was not here yet – Aerith asked, "do you know what happened?" Naruto would have face-palmed, then made fun of her for her lack of interrogation skills, Aerith was sure.

"No, sorry," the man shook his head, making Aerith frown in disappointment. It was at this moment that the blond noticed the flowers in her hand. "You don't see to many flowers in Midgar."

Aerith blinked. Lifting the flowers up so they could be seen better, she said, "these? Do you like them? There only one gil."

The man stood there for a moment, blinking. His eyes wavered and once again that look of familiarity came to his eyes. However, it vanished a second later as he pulled out a single gil from the left pocket on his pants.

"Thank you," Aerith said with a smile as she took the gil and handed the strange blond a flower, the red rose he had chosen. "Here you are!"

The man seemed to flush, oddly enough, at her smile. He mumbled something that sounded like a 'thank you' and then left, leaving Aerith to stare after him. A few seconds later, Naruto came running down the street.

"Aerith! Hey, Aerith!"

"Oh, Naruto!" Aerith greeted with a smile as her blond friend slowed to a stop in front of her. Naruto looked at her for a moment, then looked at the withdrawing back of the blond with similar hair and the big ass sword.

"Who was that?"

"I don't know," Aerith gave a helpless shrug.

Naruto frowned.

"So, how did you fact finding mission go?"

Naruto shook his head. "Not here, I'll tell you later tonight, where we can avoid being overheard." Taking one last look at the surrounding streets, Naruto grabbed Aerith's hand and began walking with her to the train station. The one they had come from was destroyed, so they would need to walk to the next sector and get a ride there. If the trains were running at least.

"Hey, Naruto."

"Hmm?" Naruto turned his head to look at the pretty brunette.

"I'm going to need a new flower cart."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>It wasn't long before the train reached it's destination. One by one, the members of AVALANCHE walked off the train. Biggs ran off energetically, leaping off the stairs of the platform instead of walking down them like a normal person. He stopped by the single lamp post in the area, it's dim lighting was the only thing that kept the area from being pitch black. Leaning against the metal pole nonchalantly, he gave the few girls walking by winks.<p>

Wedge was the second one out, he looked much more confident then he had when the mission had first started, striding out with his head higher and his shoulders back. He moved over towards Biggs and attempted to get comfortable on the dirt and grime covered concrete.

Cloud followed behind Barret who was just behind Jessie, walking out with a calm demeanor. He took a moment to survey the scene before him. Aside from the smooth concrete platform of the train station, all around them for hundreds of feet were rundown and abandoned train cars. Rusted monoliths of an earlier age lay scattered around the station, a cemetery and homage to a time before Mako. This was the reason Sector Seven was known as the Train Graveyard.

"Yo! everyone, get over here all'ya!"

Barret's shout brought Clouds attention back to the situation. Biggs and Wedge shared a glance, before hurrying over to the man with the gun-graft. Cloud on the other hand, simply strode towards them at an unhurried pace, making Barret scowl. They huddled around in a basic semblance of a circle, Cloud almost wanted to roll his eyes at this. How these people had managed to remain anonymous by acting so suspicious was beyond him.

"This mission was a success, but don't get lazy now," Barret started his spiel. "The hard parts still comin'. The next time we do this, Shinra'll be ready for us. So we can't afford to get complacent! Now let's meet back up at the hideout. Move it!"

And just like that, they were on the move. Biggs and Wedge ran on ahead, obscuring everyone's vision with the large cloud of dust they created when they sped off. Barret and Jessie were slower, but both still went at a light jog. Cloud, however, was in no hurry and chose to move at a more sedate pace. He walked along the dirtied street littered with trash, cans and bottles and small, twisted pieces of steel. Kicking one of the cans in his way with his foot, Cloud watched as it tumbled across the ground, coming to a stop a couple meters from him.

The further along he walked, the more changes he noticed in the scenery. The deadened husk of broken down trains was replaced with large piles of garbage assorted in general disarray. Massive stacks of rusted metal took the place of concrete walls and metal barriers. Defunct machinery lay in barely organized piles all around the area. As a result, roads and dust ridden paths were carved between the largest stacks, indicating improvised roads within a trashy chaos. As he walked between pile after pile, following the distant Barret and Jessie ahead, men and women in old and grayed clothing passed by.

Cloud didn't pay too much attention to the people around him, they weren't people who were paying him so they didn't register on his radar. Instead his attention focused on the sturdy metal fence just a few meters away. It was blocking off what looked to be one of the support structures Jessie had mentioned earlier when she had given him a rundown of the train system and showed him the 1/16th scale model of Midgar on the trains viewscreen a few minutes ago.

He inspected it closely, noticing a difference between its steel girders and those that he had been seeing for the past hour. Unlike other metals in the area, it was not rusted with age and disuse. On the other side of the fence, a huge winding stair hugged the side of the gigantic pillar, turning and turning about as it led up to the top. Cloud estimated that it was somewhere around a hundred feet up to the top. Looking up, he raised a hand to his head, an instinctive action as there was no sunlight that he needed to shield his eyes from. Up on the top he could make out the large, circular platform. Red lights sparkled around it at the base of the plate.

This was one of the support pillars that held up the plate that Midgar was on.

"Cloud! Come on, hurry it up!"

Cloud turned to see Jessie waving him over. As he made to follow she turned around and began moving herself. He followed her and the others, moving himself into a light job. Up ahead, Barret was the first one to reach their destination. The bar called Seventh Heaven. He did so by slamming straight in through the saloon style doors. Biggs shook his head amusedly, stopping himself from entering and instead choosing to lean against the railing for the stairs. Wedge and Jessie also stood back, one looking nervous while the other winced.

Soon the sound of machine gun fire could be heard coming from inside of the bar. Cloud's first instinct was to reach for his sword, he discarded it however, as he saw that none of the other members looked bothered by the sound, as if this was some everyday occurrence. It was only a few seconds later that a large number of men and women rushed out of the bar, running as if their lives depended on it. Considering that Barret had just burst out of the building as well, and was firing his gun arm into the air like a trigger happy idiot on dope, Cloud decided such haste was prudent on their part.

"Inside everyone! It's meetin' time!"

Cloud sighed as he walked inside. As he moved passed the doorway a shout of 'Papa!' caught his attention. He looked up just as a little girl ran towards him excitedly, only to stop at seeing some unknown blond stranger.

"Naruto!"

Cloud blinked, his face adopting confusion. "That's the second time in one day someone's called be by that name." Just who the hell was this Naruto character anyways.

Upon realizing that this person was not, in fact, Naruto, Marlene let out an 'eek!' and hid herself behind Tifa, who had come out from behind the bar to greet Cloud. She shook her head in mild amusement and gently rubbed the girls hair affectionately. "Now don't be so shy, Marlene. Why don't you go and say hi to Cloud?"

As Marlene peeked out from behind Tifa's legs, said woman gave Cloud one of the smiles that had made Seventh Heaven so famous.

"Welcome home, Cloud. It looks like everything went well."

"It did," Cloud admitted before frowning. "Who's Naruto?"

Tifa's face lit up in a small grin. "Naruto's a guy who sometimes comes in when he needs to get some supplies from the blacksmith over across the street. Apparently, that guys the only person who can make something he needs." She frowned, Naruto never did tell her what it was the blacksmith made for him. Shaking her head, she continued. "Whenever he does, he comes in here for a drink." Her grin turned decidedly playful. "I think Marlene has a crush on him."

Marlenes face went red, and she let out a petulant shout of, "I do not!"

Tifa giggled.

"What's this I hear about Marlene having a crush?" Barret growled as he stocked in with heavy stomps. The gun barrels on the man's grafted gun-arm were spinning maniacally, as if they were mirroring the anger the man radiated. "Marlenes far to young to be crushin' on some guy! At least thirty years too young!"

"Oh relax," Tifa rolled her eyes at the man. "I was just kidding. We were only talking about Naruto."

Barret's eyes narrowed. "You mean that guy who comes in here that I haven't met yet?"

"That's the one."

"I take it he looks like me," said Cloud, interrupting the conversation. He crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Tifa, who barely stifled a giggle at the blond. With his crossed arms it looked like he was trying to hard to act serious, but didn't quite make it.

"He looks a lot like you," Tifa said after she had managed to stifle her laughter. "In fact, you and he look so much alike if I didn't know any better I'd say you two were brothers."

Cloud frowned at her words, but didn't comment on them. It wasn't like what she said affected him one way or the other. Marlene, who was coming down from her embarrassment high, suddenly noticed the large shadow being cast over her. She looked up and a bright smile flashed across her face.

"Daddy!"

With a shout she ran out from behind Tifa's legs and shot towards Barret, whose face lit into a surprisingly warm and caring smile as he bent down. His arms opened wide and he scooped the girl in a hug, then shifted her up onto his gun-arm. Marlene grabbed the large metal gun, gripping it with her tiny hands so she wouldn't slip off. Tifa gave a warm smile when she saw the large man interact with his daughter, it was normally the only time anyone ever saw him without that permanent scowl on his face.

Cloud watched the father daughter pair for a second before frowning. He could feel something bumping against his skin. Reaching a hand into his pocket, he pulled out a bright red rose. Surprised, he looked at it for a moment, turning it in his fingers. It had been pressed against his leg during the escape from the soldiers and the train ride, flattened into a crescent of dark red petals. Tifa looked over at him just as he ran a thumb over one of the petals.

"A flower. Is that for me?"

Cloud looked at it for a moment, and then passed it to her. She took it and laid it gently across her palm. With a deep breath, she closed her eyes, inhaling the aroma. She gave him an appreciative smile.

"You almost never see these in the slums. Thank you, Cloud. It smells wonderful."

He glanced one last time at the flower, and then gave her a short nod. Tifa looked around at her bar.

"Someday, I think I might try filling the entire bar with flowers."

She looked back at Cloud, who shrugged, gave her a stiff smile and leaned against the wall, surveying his new surroundings. With a sigh, Tifa went back to the bar where she would place the flower in a vase.

Despite its ramshackle nature. Seventh Heaven had a charm of its own, somehow acquiring the atmosphere and feel of a small town inn. Comforting lanterns shone from the walls, filling the room with a golden glow. Biggs and Wedge settled in the corner. Biggs had whipped out a deck of cards to play with his comrade in arms atop a stout wooden table, snapping the cards down in challenge. From against one of the walls Jessie took a worn old book from a shelf, hopping on a bar stool by the counter. She took out a small silk ribbon marking her place from an earlier read. Barret propped Marlene up on his shoulders and was a new man, bumping her up and down on his shoulders playfully, like a large and loving steed. She giggled over and over to the point where the giggles were interrupted with the occasional hiccup. The big man pretended to bump into the counter and walls, resulting in peals of laughter from the young girl who tried over and over to tell him where to go. In the corner, an orange pinball machine whirred and beeped softly, as if actively trying to entice someone over to play with it.

A few moments later Tifa came back and looked at Barret. "So did everything go alright?"

"Course!" Barret groused, he stopped making face with Marlene and turned his head to look at the whiskey eyed woman. "Everythin' went off without o' hitch!" The large man looked around at his comrades, and once again the gruff leader of AVALANCHE made a momentary appearance. "Get in here foola! we're startin' the meetin'!"

Barret, with Marlene still on his shoulder, made his way to the pinball machine. He smashed his giant fist against a button on the side, causing the machine to rumble and creak. With a loud groan the pinball machine, along with the platform under it, began descending, leaving a large rectangular hole where the plank of wood had once been.

Biggs and Wedge looked over at the, now, hole in the floor. They turned back and hurriedly finished their game, showing their hands. Biggs must have had a better hand because he laughed while Wedge looked positively despondent. The cards were soon put away, pocketed by Biggs as the two walked over to the hole and climbed down. Jessie looked up from her book, sighed, then slipped the silk ribbon on the page she had been reading. She stood up and walked over to the basement entrance and began her own descent.

Following the group, the newest member of AVALANCHE and former SOLDIER member walked over to the rectangular hole and jumped in without hesitation. Cloud caught his fall on the side of the platform with the pinball machine, knees bending and fingers lightly touching the scratched wooden floor. As he looked up, the first thing he saw was crumpled up caution tape all around the edges. It probably served as a warning to those unfamiliar with the system to stay clear of the area within which the machine descended.

Barret was in the far corner, attacking a worn old punching bag with vigorous spirit. Wedge sat on a torn plastic bar stool, typing the keys on an ancient looking computer. Jessie and Biggs sat around the wide graying table that dominated the center of the room. Jessie watched wedge while Biggs folded his arms and pretended to snore. They seemed to be waiting for Barret to finish.

Atop the table before them were various schematics and maps, the plans for their earlier assault. Marlene sat on a dark and rusted brown pipe running around the outskirts of the room, her feet kicking back and forth as she cheered her father on while he thrashed the poor punching bag. Right next to her, a widescreen television was set to the news channel. On it, an anchor from the Shinra Information Network talked about an unexpected gas leak causing the Mako Reactor explosion. A cover up, Cloud remembered it as a standard Shinra tactic to keep the people ignorant.

As Cloud took a seat next to Biggs, Barret stopped his exercise and sat right across from the ex-SOLDIER. Trickles of sweat ran down the side of his cheeks and through his dark beard. He wiped them clean with a dull white towel from beneath the table. As he did, the big man looked at Cloud, a glare seeming to challenge Cloud's right to sit where he did. Cloud stared right back into the man's determined face.

"Hey Cloud, there was something I wanted to ask you. Did we run into anyone from SOLDIER during our escape?"

"No. I'm positive."

"You sound pretty sure of yerself."

Cloud fixed him with a stare

"If anyone from SOLDIER had been within a few miles of that reactor, you wouldn't be standing here now."

Barret let out a growl, his beard bristling.

"Don't go thinkin' that cuz your in SOLDIER means your some kind of bad-ass."

Cloud snorted and stood up, looking away from Barret. This seemed to make the big man angrier, and his muscles tensed as if he were about to charge at Cloud. Seeing this, Biggs tried to calm the much larger man by placing a hand on his shoulder. He got a fist in the nose for his troubles. Barret turned back to Cloud and glared at him.

"Yeah, you're strong, kid. Probably all those bastards in SOLDIER are."

He slammed his hand on the table. Biggs and Jessie recoiled in surprise.

"But don't forget that your ass is working for AVALANCHE now! Don't get no idea's 'bout hangin' on to Shinra!"

Cloud whipped around, his eyes flashing with his response.

"Go back to Shinra?" Cloud's eyes narrowed dangerously, their Mako infused glow making them look even more menacing then a normal set of eyes. "You asked me a question and I answered it, nothing more. I'm going upstairs, I want to talk about my money."

As he turned to the pinball machine, he stopped for a moment in surprise. Tifa was standing there before him, her eyes wide with shock. Cloud ignored her and moved past her. Tifa reached out, brushing her fingers against his sleeve as he passed by her.

"Wait, Cloud!"

Barret sneered.

"Tifa let him go! Looks like he still misses Shinra."

"Shut up!" Cloud snapped, losing the cool he had kept for the entire night. "I don't care about Shinra or SOLDIER!" He looked at everyone else, they were all staring at him shock. He shook his head. "But don't get me wrong. I don't care about AVALANCHE or the planet either." Turning back Cloud pressed the button on the pinball Machine and the platform began to raise.

Cloud reached the main floor. The room shone invitingly, as if attempting to console him. Glasses shone behind the bar, reflecting his face a dozen times over as he looked on. Cloud ignored the welcoming sensations as he began to move. This kind of life, these people, this was no place for someone like him.

He walked to the doorway, but came to a halt as Tifa's voice cried out behind him.

"Cloud, wait!"

Cloud stopped, but didn't turn around. He wanted to ignore her and get out of this place. However, when he tried to place one foot in front of the other his body would not move. Instead, he stood there, indecisive. Until finally, with a sigh, he turned his head to see Tifa standing just a few feet away.

"Listen, Cloud. I'm asking you. Please join us."

"Why?"

"The Planet is dying, Cloud. Slowly but surely it's dying. Someone has to do something."

Cloud snorted, not even bothering to hide his irritation.

"So let Barret and his buddies do something about it. It has nothing to do with me."

He made to walk on, but when he reached the top stair leading down he stopped. Tifa's voice, sad and rejected cut through the air, making his entire body go stiff as if her voice had some kind of power over him.

"So you're really leaving! You are just going to walk away? Ignoring your childhood friend?"

He turned around. Tifa watched him, her face was distressed, her eyes shining as they watered. Cloud looked down, shaking his head from side to side in apology.

"I'm sorry."

Tifa walked up to him. She pushed his chin up gently with one knuckle.

"You forgot the promise, too."

Cloud gazed into her eyes.

"Promise?"

Tifa stepped away.

"Oh, so you _did_ forget. Don't you remember, Cloud? It was seven years ago…"

Cloud looked off into nothing, trying vainly to recall. Tifa looked on for a moment, and then gazed to one side sadly. She turned away to go back inside, but looked back one last time, her body illumined by the soft yellow light from within. She stared deeply into his eyes.

His eyes were glazed over, his mind lost in thought as the memory of seven years ago came to him.

* * *

><p><em>He had thought she would never come, and it was getting ever colder. Cloud shivered, his short blond hair rustling slightly in the cool night air. The oak beneath him seemed to retain some warmth, however, and he rubbed his arms to try and keep warm. <em>

_He was sitting on the wooden fort just outside of town, it was a place of reflection for the younger children and teenagers when they needed to get away from their parents and get some fresh air. Cloud was no different. He sat there on the ledge, his feet kicking out from under him._

_A mossy well stood below. All around the fort were rocky outcroppings, a shield from the eyes of friends and strangers alike. From his position they had the look of a vast range of mountains, and this valley was the center. Yet, despite the solitude, the isolation, the retreat of the fort, the children of the neighborhood did not come here as often as they used to. Instead, most stayed home, watching the television or chatting to friends on the phone. _

_Cloud was not one of those people. Where others might have stayed inside to watch television, he would usually sit here. This place was his bastion, a stronghold that would often comfort him when things got rough. Being somewhat of a loner, things were often difficult for him._

_The sound of footsteps on soft grass reached his ears. He looked down to see Tifa Lockhart. Ever since he was a child, Tifa had been present in the background. They lived next door to one another, but fate had decided to keep them at arm's length. Where he was the loner, she was popular, always in a group of friends who served as a barrier against him. In the past he had simply watched her from afar, a silent protector in the background. Though this was not for lack of trying. He had tried to talk to her, but was simply too shy. _

_That was going to change tonight. He had mustered up his courage and asked her to come to here, his most sacred place. A fort on the outskirts of a wilderness of possibilities. And it was a perfect night._

_He looked up at the stars. As if in answer to his mental call, a constellation shone before him. The brilliant lights dazzled in the sky with all the beauty of the cosmos. He smiled, closing his eyes and allowing the night to pass through him._

_"Hi there."_

_Cloud opened his eyes and looked over his shoulder. Tifa poked her head out from behind the back of the fort with a shy but incredible smile. She wore a light blue dress, augmenting her already impressive beauty with an elegance he had not encountered before. Cloud was looked at her, dumbstruck._

_Tifa walked over to him and sat down. Given the small nature of the fort, she had to face away on the corner, touching his right shoulder to her left. They sat side by side, looking off into the starlit night. She turned her head to look at him._

_"Sorry I'm late. You said you wanted to talk about something?"_

_Unable to cope with her presence, he stared straight off into the distance._

_"Come this spring, I'm leaving this town for Midgar."_

_Tifa looked sadly down at her feet. They dangled gently over the edge, waving in the cool night breeze._

_"All the boys are leaving town."_

_Cloud shook his head._

_"But I'm not like the other boys. I'm different."_

_He stood up. She turned her head, gazing over at him questioningly. He put on a brave face._

_"I'm not just going to find a job. I want to join SOLDIER."_

_He looked up into the effervescent sky._

_"I'm going to be the best there is, just like Sephiroth."_

_"Sephiroth… the great Sephiroth?"_

_Cloud nodded excitedly. But Tifa looked at him with worry._

_"Isn't it hard to join SOLDIER?"_

_He nodded and turned away. He went around the back of the fort, grabbing handholds only he knew about. Soon enough he was on top of the fort, looking out over the large expanse of land before him. His eyes went from the landscape in the distance to Tifa._

_"I probably won't be able to come back to this town for a while."_

_Tifa looked away. Unseen by Cloud, she sobbed quietly for a moment. The grass below her shifted silently in the wind. One tear after another dropped onto the soil. Cloud gave her a quizzical look from above._

_"Hey, are you okay?"_

_Tifa ignored him and composed herself quickly. When she looked up, his face was framed by hundreds of stars, his caring expression burned into her memory forever._

_"Will I see you in the newspapers if you do well?"_

_"I'll try."_

_Tifa gazed up into the luminous skies._

_"Hey, would you promise me something?"_

_Cloud nodded from up above._

_"If you get really famous and I'm ever in a bind…"_

_She brought her legs up, hugging them close._

_"You'll come save me, okay?"_

_Cloud had to blink several times, a confused look spread across his face. He descended from his high perch and sat back down, next to her._

_"What?"_

_She put her face on her knees, looking at him from the side. Her dress rustled softly in the wind._

_"Whenever I'm in trouble, my hero will come and rescue me. I want to experience that. At least once."_

_He was completely at a loss. Tifa put her feet back down and leaned over holding his hands in hers on his lap._

_"Come on. Promise me!"_

_Overwhelmed and starstruck by her beauty, Cloud really had no chance._

_"Alright. I promise."_

_His reward was a dazzling smile. She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. Without another word, she got up and walked down to the grass. But as she prepared to leave, she looked up one last time. Her eyes reflected a glassy world of light and wonder._

* * *

><p>When he returned to the land of the living, it was to see Tifa staring deeply into his eyes. She looked expectant.<p>

"You remember now, don't you?"

He nodded slightly.

"The promise?"

He nodded once more. He was uncertain, gazing down and around before hesitantly looking into her soft brown eyes.

"But I'm no hero, and I'm not famous," Cloud argued, "I can't keep the promise."

She walked down to him, her soles creaked gently against the wooden planks as she descended the stairs. She stood in front of him, looking up at him with a compassionate gaze.

"But you got your childhood dream, didn't you? You joined SOLDIER. So you have to stay with me. Keep your promise."

With a grumble and a crash, Barret emerged at the top of the stairs. Tifa stood aside to look up at him along with Cloud. Growling like a lion, the big man tossed down a small brown pouch, which Cloud caught reflexively with one hand.

"A promise is a promise. Here!"

Cloud hefted it and tossed it up and down. Then he looked skeptically up at the big man.

"This is my pay? Don't make me laugh."

Tifa gave Cloud a sharp glance.

"Wait, then you'll…?"

Cloud interrupted her, pointing at Barret.

"You got another mission lined up? I'll do it for twice this."

Barret took all of two seconds before his face burned red with anger. He likely would have attacked the shorter man, but Tifa was already trying to sooth him. She whispered in his ear. After a moment, Barret turned and scowled at her.

"But that money's for Marlene's schoolin'!"

Tifa gave him a look. Barret harrumphed and gave Cloud a dismissive wave with one hand as he walked back inside.

"2000!"

Tifa smiled victoriously, turning back to the ex-SOLDIER she walked over to him.

"Thanks, Cloud."

He nodded, a solitary figure marching slowly up the stairs back into the home of a childhood friend.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>They arrived much later then originally intended. After getting home, Naruto and Aerith had received quite the dressing down by a worried sick Elmyra. The woman had been in hysterics when the pair had entered the house, and then almost immediately launched into a spiel about how they shouldn't be so reckless and how she had been worried sick that they might have gotten killed. The telivision in her living room had been on, not surprisingly it was the news station, and she had not failed to notice that the Mako Reactor that blew up was the one they had been closest to. It was only after they promised the woman that they would be more careful that she had let them eat a late dinner.<p>

Now Naruto was in his room, laying on his bed with his hands behind his head as he stared at the ceiling. His thoughts were churning, the cunning mind within his head replaying the information he had learned today when he had gone to find out the cause of the Mako Reactor's destruction. He wasn't surprised that Shinra had covered up the truth. The type of panic that would happen if the truth was revealed on what happened today would have been dire. It was actually a good idea, even if Naruto disliked Shinra as a whole, there was no need to cause people to freak out.

A light rustle, the sound of fabric brushing against wood, brought Naruto's attention to the guest that had been standing outside of his door, waiting for him to notice her.

"Are you just going to stand there all night."

The door creaked open and soft, feminine footsteps could be heard drawing ever closer to his bed. Aerith Gainsborough stopped on the side closest to him, hands on her hips as she gave him 'the look'. It was dark in his room, however, despite this, his enhanced eyesight could pick up every detail of the woman. From the determined look in her emerald green eyes, to the small frown bordering on a pout on her lips.

She was in a silk pink nightgown, one Naruto had actually bought for her one of the times he had taken her shopping. Aerith looked rather stunning in it, despite her slightly innocent looks, he had to admit that she was sexy in that outfit. It was a good choice, he decided in that moment.

Surprisingly enough, Aerith had been the one who had selected it.

"Can I help you?" he asked. He didn't need to ask the question, already knowing exactly what she wanted. But it was standard procedure. If he was lucky, it wouldn't be for what he thought it was.

"You promised you would tell me what you found out today."

No such luck it seemed.

"I was kind of hoping you forgot about that."

When her glare increased in intensity he sighed. Scooting over on his bed to give her some space, Naruto gestured for her to take the spot he had just vacated. Aerith did so, pulling up the covers and crawling under the bed. She moved inexorably closer to him, moving into his side she surprised the blond by snuggling into his torso.

"A-Aerith!" His voice squeaked slightly. He would have cursed for sounding so weak, but considering there was a beautiful woman pressing herself against him, Naruto didn't even realize that he sounded like a prepubescent teenager.

In response to his words, Aerith draped an arm around his body, sliding it over his torso until she could wrap it around him. Her fingers lightly dug into his flesh on the opposite side, her grip allowed her to pull them together even further. She set her head in the crook of his neck, taking a quick moment to breath in his scent before nuzzling her face into his skin. When she was comfortable, and Naruto was distinctly uncomfortable, she got back on track.

"So what happened today?"

Naruto's mind went on the fritz. Unable to truly think about anything other then the woman cuddling into him, the feel of her moderately sized bust pressing against the left side of his torso, her hand as it idly traced patterns against his chest, and her legs as they entangled with his own, he was unable to do anything other then tell her.

"It was AVALANCHE."

Those three words caused Aerith to freeze. She stopped what she was doing and looked at him with a serious expression, not something one often saw on her. With her no longer doing... what she had been doing to him, Naruto belatedly realized that he had just been played.

Were the tension in the room not so thick you could cut it with a wind jutsu, he would have wondered where the hell she had learned that.

Little did Naruto know that under Aerith's bed was a familiar orange book.

"Are you sure it was AVALANCHE?" asked Aerith. There was something about the tone in her voice, a spark of recognition and a hint worry, that told Naruto she knew of this organization.

"Yes, I take you know them?"

"Know of them is more like it."

After another moment or two, Aerith rested her head against his chest. The act, while intimate, was nothing like the previous act she had done to wind him up. None of the blatant sexualism was there. Instead the brunette currently gripping him in a hug seemed to be holding him as a means to comfort herself.

"AVALANCHE is a group that firmly believe that Shinra's actions are harmful to the Planet, and that continued harvest of Mako energy will eventually destroy the world. They are believers in the Lifestream; that all life on the Planet is derived from the Mako rivers beneath the Planet. By sucking the Lifestream out, the Planet is slowly being eaten away until eventually the world will be barren and incapable of sustaining life. To this end, they believe that Shinra must be stopped by force."

They sounded almost like a group of freedom fighters. Brothers and sisters who take up arms to protect the world from a great evil, like the stories Sarutobi used to tell him when he was a kid. Different settings of course, the old Hokage's stories were always about ninja – his particular favorite was, ironically enough, the story of how the yellow flash met the Red Hot-Blooded Habanero. But despite the differences in setting, the sound of them was similar.

However...

"These people... judging by the tone of your voice, these are the kind of people who find the killing of innocents acceptable so long as they manage to complete there goals." Despite it not being a question, Aerith nodded at his words. She also took a moment to admire just how quickly Naruto had deduced that fact from the small amount she had told him.

"I don't know about the group now," Aerith said after a few moments. "A few years back, when AVALANCHE had first been formed, they were more then willing to kill people who had simply gotten caught in the crossfire. I remember a lot of incidents had happened between them and the Turks, where AVALANCHE would cause a lot of death and destruction."

Naruto gave an amused chuckle. "So the Turks were the good guys then, eh?" Not that he actually thought the Turks were bad. If his information was correct then the Turks _could have_ captured Aerith years ago but chose not to. This meant they had been deliberately mucking up their attempts before Naruto had come into the picture.

However, just because they weren't evil did not mean they would be saved from his pranks.

"Well, if today is what we can expect from this new AVALANCHE, then it doesn't look like they've changed much," Naruto mused for a second. After a moment he sighed. "However, I don't have enough information either way, so I'll withhold my judgment until I see more of what they do."

Aerith didn't respond with words, merely gave a small nod against his chest.

There were a few minutes of silence. Naruto could swore he could hear crickets chirping.

"Um... Aerith?"

"Yes."

"Aren't you going to go back to your room?"

Aerith looked up at him, her face so close to Naruto's that their noses were touching. His breath hitched in his throat. He tried to speak, but couldn't. Blood filled his ears, deafening him with the beating rumble of his heart.

That pout she was giving him had so much moe it should be illegal.

"Do you want me to leave?"

"Uh..."

Well shit, how does someone answer that kind of question?

Aerith lay her head back down on his chest. "I want to stay here tonight. Please don't send me away."

Naruto just knew he was going to get in trouble for this with Elmyra. Yet, the sound of her voice, pleading, wanting, it was impossible for the blond to resist. He took a quick moment to curse his weakness for woman, then he took an extra few seconds to viciously curse his godfather for corrupting him – this was in spite of the fact that Naruto hadn't been corrupted until long after Jiraiya had died. But he couldn't bring himself to curse out Mei, the one who actually corrupted him. Finally, after he swore up, down, left, right and center in his mind, he gave in.

Shifting his left arm, Naruto wormed it around Aerith's shoulder. His hand placed itself against her shoulder, then slid down her bare arms. Surprisingly, Aerith's hand moved, latching onto his wrist and moving his hand until it was resting on her waist. He reacted without thinking, pulling the girl closer to him, an act which seemed to enjoy because she helped by scooting herself against him further and used her own arms to pull him closer. When they were both comfortable, the pair relaxed, letting the warmth each other emitted lull them into a sense of peace and security.

There was just one more thing that Naruto needed to say.

"Aerith?"

"Yes?"

"You're going to be the one telling your mother why we were sleeping in the same bed tomorrow."

* * *

><p><strong>Some people didn't like that I had AVALANCHE's scene in my last chapter. I won't be apologizing for that, because, as I said before; these stories, I write them for myself first and foremost. I wanted to add that part, and so I did, and nothing can change that.<strong>

**Besides that, I have my reasons. For those of you who want Naruto to become the ultimate main character and Cloud to take a back seat, well, I am sorry to disappoint, but Cloud's roll in this story will be just as important as it was in the game. He IS one of the main characters, both him and Naruto. Therefore, I don't want to focus on just Naruto.**

**Furthermore, I wanted to draw up parallels and comparisons between the two blonds. They look so similar, and yet, their personalities couldn't be more different. That's what I am trying to show right now by adding the AVALANCHE scenes. You all may have seen this moment when playing the game, IF you played the game, but playing something in a game or watching things happen on TV is completely different from reading a book. Unlike video games and movies, a book can truly take you into the mind of your favorite characters, they can show you their thoughts, feelings and beliefs much more clearly then any game or movie ever can. Words hold a power that you just can't get with any other media outlet, which is why they are still so popular even though there are so many newer forms of media and entertainment out there.**

**Now, you can like it, or hate it, but the fact is I won't just skip over those scenes since I feel they are important to my story.**

**Having said all I wanted to, I'll leave you guys here.**

**Pokemaster12, out.**


	8. A2 C8: Best Way to Start the Day

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 2: The Battle for The Planet**

**Chapter 8: The Best Way to Start the Day**

* * *

><p>Cloud woke up the next morning to see that the basement was empty. Looking around he could see no one at all, the television was off, the blankets nearby were rumpled but unoccupied, and the only lights within the room were those few near the computer console that blinked. His survey of the are finished, Cloud ran a hand through his spiky blond hair as he realized that he must have slept like an infant. Deciding to head up top where everyone was likely waiting, he picked up his blade and fastened it to the straps on his back, then went over and pressed the button to call down the elevator.<p>

When he reached the top, he found Tifa and Barret talking to each other earnestly as they sat on two of the barstools. Tifa looked like she was ready for combat. Instead of having her hands bare, she wore sturdy dark brown gloves. A glint of metal flashed, and he noticed studs on top of where her knuckles were.

Cloud frowned as he saw that. It looked like Tifa was coming with them for this run. As for Barret, he was unchanged, wearing the same dark vest that left his powerful chest bare. Cloud could not tell if it was new clothing or simply what the big man had worn yesterday. As he walked forward they stopped and turned to him. Tifa gave him a mischievous smile, as if gently chastising him for sleeping in later than anyone else. Barret simply scowled at him, but simultaneously managed to look rather embarrassed about something.

"Did you sleep well?"

Cloud turned to look at Tifa. She was still smiling. He frowned, the question seemed innocuous. In truth, he had slept like a baby. His eyes then found Barret, the man was still scowling at him. Cloud turned back to Tifa and shrugged.

"I slept well enough. But it took a while to get to sleep with Barret's snoring."

Said man growled, a dangerous scowl across his now red face. Tifa did not even bother to hide her lyrical laughter, the soft, melodious tone that trickled through Clouds ear and had the odd effect of soothing his mind.

"Oh, you poor dear," she cooed. "Next time we'll see if we can't find some way to fix it so that you don't have to hear the big bear snore."

Behind them Barret's eyes twitched, his scowl deepened. For a second, it looked like he was going to blow a gasket. However, through an effort of will he quickly shunted aside his frowning anger so he could focus on what was to come, and tell Cloud about their next mission. "Our next target is the Sector 5 Reactor. We're goin' to head for the station first."

Cloud nodded, doing some squats as he listened to prepare his body for the mission. His muscles were not only stiff, but it was clear that last nights mission had done a number on them. Barret continued.

"I can fill you in on the train. But, before we go, I got somethin' I want to ask you."

Tifa smiled as she looked at the large man expectantly, giving him an encouraging nudge to continue. Barret asked his question, growling, as if speaking each syllable was the most difficult thing in the world.

"How do you use those rocks to spit lightning? Can you teach me how to do that?"

Cloud sighed.

"Yeah. I figured this would come up. Did Tifa have you bore the holes into the metal section of your fighting arm?"

Glaring at Tifa, Barret lifted up his gun arm. Around the sides of the metal plate two spherical holes had been drilled into the sides. Good. They were the perfect size for the magical stones. Cloud reached out a hand in Tifa's direction. She popped a small green gem into his palm. Barret looked closely at Cloud's insistence. Upon the surface of the stone, white swirls flowed like waves through an emerald sea. As if to illustrate a comparison, Cloud took out the lightning orb from his pocket. Like before, white jagged streaks shot throughout the yellow surface.

"These are Materia."

Barret scrunched up his face as he stared at the orbs.

"Materia?"

Cloud nodded.

"You can generally tell what their function is by looking at them."

He pointed at the golden gem with one slender finger.

"The jagged lines here symbolize the striking of lightning, and that is the effect that you can create when you use the stone."

"But how do you use the rocks?"

Cloud demonstrated by bringing his sword into a ready position, overhead and parallel to the ground. He slid the yellow orb into one of the blade's two slots. He brought his sword straight up, pressing it to his forehead. He closed his eyes in concentration. Barret and Tifa watched him with hushed breaths. Suddenly, sparks and currents of lightning began to coruscate up and down the monstrous weapon. Cloud opened his eyelids. The others were barely visible behind the dancing flashes and sparkling force. After a moment, he let it all recede, his steel blade reflecting his face normally once more.

"By using your will and applying it, the Materia can take that strength of mind and magnify it, creating an elemental force."

It was obvious to the two other people in the room that Barret didn't understand a single word Cloud had said.

"How can these rocks do that?"

Cloud strapped his sword back on his back and lifted the sea green Materia directly into the light of the lantern nearby. The orb sparkled, brighter and as if full of life.

"They are created from crystallized Mako, the energy of the Planet. I don't know whether they come like this naturally or artificially but, as I explained, they amplify your mental energies and produce a dramatic effect. The power of the effect is gauged by how much you want to put into it. It requires a certain amount of mental dexterity and practice to prevent from simply pouring all your energy into it at once. I learned all this through my time as a SOLDIER. They would hand out Materia like this to me, especially if I was expected to participate in a particularly dangerous mission."

Leaning down, Barret got nose to... surface, with the green stone.

"What does this one do?"

Cloud traced the wavy white lines with a finger as he talked.

"The waves represent natural movement, the life created by nature. Thus, what this Materia does should not be too difficult to guess."

Tifa flicked Barret's knee as he stared at Cloud. Instantly, their fearless leader recoiled.

"Hey, that hurts! The hell you do that for, Tifa?"

Tifa smiled at Cloud, rolling her eyes.

"This big baby got a nasty bruise while fighting that ridiculous scorpion robot yesterday. Want to help him out?"

Cloud gestured with his open hand for Barret to show him the injury. Grumbling, Barret hiked up his pants leg. Upon his skin there was a dark patch of discolored bruise where once there was a rich brown. Cloud pointed his arm down at Barret's knee, grasping the green gem firmly. In between the areas not covered by Cloud's fingers, an emerald light flared. Barret watched in awe as the black wound seemingly shrank in on itself, disappearing entirely after only a moment. Barret flexed his leg, testing out his renewed flexibility. Cloud handed the green Materia back to Tifa.

"That Materia heals."

Nodding appreciatively, Barret thought for a moment. He gestured to Tifa.

"How can she use these things with her fists? There is no way she'll be able to put a slot in her hand."

Without a word, Cloud reached back, popped out the yellow orb, and tossed it to Tifa. In one swift motion, she caught it, concealed it in a tightly held fist, and slammed it downward into the table on her left. As she did, blue lightning and sparks streaked from the wind created by her hand, smashing through the table with unrelenting force. Instantly the wood shattered, fragments pulsing with electricity and flame upon the ground. Tifa withdrew her hand. She gave a wide grin as she tossed the Materia back to Cloud, who just as quickly popped it into his pocket.

Barret pointed at the destruction.

"You broke your table."

Tifa laughed, causing both Barret and Cloud to give an involuntary smile.

"I have spares out back. Bar fights and all. Don't worry about it."

Cloud gestured to Tifa.

"As you can see, Barret, you can use the stones just by holding them. It is simply more convenient to place them in your weapon for use whenever you like. Your mind can reach through the weapon, as if it were the wire of a cord leading to a lamp."

Cloud sat down heavily, his large sword skidding off the floor. Tifa walked over and gently rested a hand on one navy blue shoulder.

"The downside is that the energy drains out of you. If you overuse the power of the stones, then soon enough you'll fall flat on your face, completely unconscious."

Barret sat as well, digesting the information.

"Well, in that case, I'll steer clear of these buggers for a while, til I get used to them. Last thing I need right now is that hocus pocus stone draining the energy I need for today's action."

Cloud shrugged.

"Your call."

Tifa squeezed his shoulder.

"I think we should all try not to use the Materia unless we absolutely have to," Cloud said, "The exhaustion they cause should only be warranted if the need is great."

With a nod, Barret smacked his healed knee and stood, towering over Cloud and Tifa.

"Well thanks for the info, the both of you. Now let's hit the road. We have a train to catch."

As Cloud double checked the straps on his sword and Tifa fixed her gloves into more comfortable positions, Barret moved to the bar. Marlene had been sitting unnoticed by it the whole time. She watched with eyes wide open. Today, the young girl wore a new pink dress, which went well with her short brown pigtails. As he drew near, she stood on the stool and launched herself at the big man, who caught her gently. He held her close, whispering in her ear as she sniffed. She meant so much to him. Putting the girl down, Barret went down to one knee and tickled Marlene under her chin. She giggled slightly.

"Now you take care of the store while we're gone, okay? I'll have some friends come around to keep an eye on it too."

Marlene nodded obediently, squeezing him tightly for a moment. With a grin she tugged on one of the big man's whiskers..

"Go get 'em, papa."

"I love you, Marlene."

"I love you too, papa."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Waking the next morning, Naruto found himself feeling content. It was a feeling he had become used to since arriving on Gaia, even if he occasionally felt a tide of guilt that he was here, enjoying life while his friends back in the Elemental Nations were quite possible still at war. The guilt, however, had been fading rapidly. Akatsuki had been all but finished by the time he came here, only Sasuke and Tobi had remained. However, even with this feeling not being unique, it was particularly potent that morning. The feeling of peace was such that he couldn't even bring himself to want to get out of bed.<p>

He looked down, his eyes softening as he gazed at the reason for this.

Aerith was sleeping with him, cuddled directly into his left side. Her arms were wrapped securely around his torso and her face was resting against his chest. There was a small, yet very content smile on her lips that somehow managed to make the entire room seem warmer and more alive. She had always looked beautiful, but for some reason, this morning her beauty stood out even more. Even in sleep, she seemed to be glowing with an inner radiance that enhanced her already pretty features to levels he had never seen before.

Looking at her made Naruto want to just pull her closer, close his eyes, and let sleep reclaim him.

Of course, he had a schedule to keep, and he didn't want to risk Elmyra possibly coming into his room and seeing him sleeping with her daughter. He shuddered inwardly at the thought of what the kind, motherly woman would do if she caught him like this.

It was always the kind motherly ones that were the scariest.

Normally when he was in this position, Naruto would have made the use of a Kawarimi to replace himself with something. Unfortunately for him, not only was there nothing suitable for him to replace himself with, but he had also taken out his materia last night.

_'Note to self, keep neutral jutsu Materia equipped during the night for emergency escape.'_

With no other way to escape Aerith's grip, Naruto decided that the best way was to simply wake her up.

"Aerith." His left hand landed on her right shoulder and he began to gently shake her. "Aerith, come on, I need you to let go." Rather then do as he wanted, Aerith let out a slight groan and quickly tightened her grip on him. Naruto clucked his tongue in minor annoyance, but didn't deter from his current course of action. It was after maybe five or ten minutes of this that Aerith finally woke up.

Her form stirred slightly, and it looked like she had been about to try and burrow her way even further into his chest. Instead of that, however, she slowly raised her head, green eyes rimmed with sleep slowly blinked at him. A hand came up to her face, and Aerith curled it into a fist and began to cutely rub her eyes. When she was finished, she looked back at him and blinked some more, as if seeing Naruto for the first time.

"Um..."

It was one of those few times Naruto was at a loss for words. Normally, he would not find himself embarrassed at being in a situation like this. He wasn't some virgin who'd never experienced the pleasures of the flesh, even if it had been a while since he'd had sex. However, there was just something about Aerith that made him feel distinctly uncomfortable. Not in a bad way, but more in that 'it feels like an electric current is running through my body whenever she so much as looks at me' way. It was something he had only experienced a few times in his life, but that had only been when he was a young, fresh out of the academy genin who had a lot of growing up to do.

He was very thankful when Aerith took the task of saying something out of his hand. Her eyes went from him to the small clock on his nightstand. It read '0300' hours. She then looked back at him, deadpanning. "You get up at 3:00 in the morning?"

"Uh... yes...?" he said uncertainly.

Aerith immediately buried her face back in his chest. She began grumbling in a muffled voice. Naruto could only pick out some of what she said, a word here and there like 'no way' 'too early' and 'how does he do it' while the rest were simply incoherent grumbling.

Naruto looked uncertain.

"Um... Aerith?"

Aerith sighed, placing her right hand on his chest and her left on the bed. She pushed herself up slightly, using her hands as support for her upper body and stared at him. She still looked pretty tired, but behind those slightly red rimmed eyes there was a hint of annoyance and exasperation.

"So what exactly is it that you do that requires you to get up so early in the morning?"

Naruto scratched the back of his head, a mildly sheepish and uncertain. However, when Aerith gave him 'the look', he sighed and took the plunge. "I usually go out and do some training."

"Training?"

"Um! Combat training. You know, physical condition, sparring with my clones. That sort of thing." Naruto spoke, shrugging after a few moments.

"Oh..." Aerith looked at him, her mouth forming a cute 'o' of surprise. She settled down after a moment and looked thoughtful. "I suppose I should have figured that. I mean, you are a ninja and all." Her thoughtful gaze snapped back into focus and she turned her attention back to him. "And why did you wake me up?"

"Are you really asking that?" Naruto deadpanned. He gestured to himself, the bed, and the room. Aerith followed his sweeping arms as she looked around, then looked back at the blond under her. It took a second, but eventually she realized what he was trying to tell her.

"Oh..." This time a slight blushed followed her proclamation. Whether from mild embarrassment at not having cottoned on sooner, or perhaps from her actions the night before was unknown. It could have even been a mixture of both. "Right, I had almost forgotten about that."

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"Are you telling me that you completely forgot you decided to sleep with me last night?"

Aerith turned her head away, a futile attempt at hiding the blush now staining her cheeks.

"Maybe."

Naruto shook his head before sitting up. Aerith moved away from him slightly, lest they end up bumping heads. The blond stretched his arms out, groaning in satisfaction as his back popped and cracked, then brought them back down (he also ignored each and every wince Aerith gave when she heard his back crack), placed them on the bed and began crawling around the brunette.

"Right, well, I need to get started training," he told her as he made it to the edge. His hands gripped the ends of the bed and he swung his legs under his body, planted his feet on the ground, then pushed himself up. "You can go back to sleep if you want, but I would suggest heading back to your room. I don't even want to think about what Elmyra would do if she caught you in here dressed like that."

Aerith smiled as she knew exactly how her mom would act. Still, she said nothing, having no real need to comment on his words. Instead she stood up as he began putting on a pair of clothes. Dark red sweat pants, a sleeveless shirt that hugged his frame and one of those pouches he always had strapped to his outer left thigh. He looked rather good in them. Then again, she thought sardonically, she always thought he looked good.

As Naruto made for the door Aerith followed him, that smile never leaving her face. They both left the room and Naruto headed down the stairs, Aerith following right behind. This was something that did not go unnoticed by the blond shinobi.

"Aerith, what are you doing?"

She showered him with her dazzling smile.

"I want to see what you do when training yourself."

Naruto stopped, forcing Aerith to do the same. Turning around, he regarded her for a moment. The brunette, despite her smile nearly blinding him in it's brilliance, held a genuine look of interest on her face. It made sense to him that she would be curious. After all, in all the time he had lived with her, she had never seen what he did in the mornings. And Naruto knew she had tried to get up before he did so she could surprise him.

In the end he shrugged and began walking again.

"Suit yourself."

Once outside, Naruto and Aerith made their way towards the flower garden behind the house. Aerith stopped as she looked around at the array of beautiful flowers, then returned her gaze to Naruto.

"Please tell me you don't train here."

"I don't train here," Naruto said, shrugging. He then pointed a single finger up the cliff behind him. "I train up there."

Aerith's eyes gained a glint of understanding. While she did not know everything there was to know about his powers, she knew a few things. For instance, she knew he could walk up versicle surface and on water. She had seen him do both before. But as Aerith looked up at the cliff, she realized there was a problem.

"How am I going to get up there?"

The grin that etched itself onto Naruto's face did not reassure her. Her blond friend made a step forward, and Aerith, looking nervous, made a hasty step back.

"Um... Naruto?"

"Don't worry," Naruto said, his grin widening enough that his eyes were forced to squint. With his eyes closed and his whiskers being stretched out by the grin, he truly did look like a fox. A very playful fox who was about to play a prank.

Before Aerith knew what was happening, Naruto was standing right next to her. He bent his knees slightly, one arm going to her shoulders, while the other went under her knees. The blond scooped her into his arms, then bent his knees down further. With a powerful thrust of his legs, they were sent sailing into the air.

"Eek!"

Aerith's scream tore from her throat as the wind whipped through her hair. Naruto laughed as they ascended into the air. When they reached the apex of his jump, and began to descend, Aerith shut her eyes, afraid of what might happen if she looked.

As Naruto reached the ground, he bent his knees, bringing himself into a low crouch to absorb the shock of impact. Then he bounced back up. Grinning, he looked down at Aerith, whose eyes were still firmly shut.

"You can open your eyes now."

She did, her eyes opening a crack to find two amused, glowing blue orbs staring at her. They opened further and she looked around to find that they were now on solid ground. Technically speak she wasn't, but Aerith had no desire to get into semantics. Naruto slowly set her down. Aerith found her legs were feeling a tad wobbly, they shook a bit and were it not for the arm resting around her shoulder, allowing her to lean into the whiskered marked blond for support, she might have fallen.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" The blond asked with a cheerful grin on his face. Aerith stared at him with a deadpanned look. When she didn't respond Naruto looked at her face, and upon seeing the expression on it allowed an uncertain look to pass his. It was after several long, agonizing seconds of this, in which Aerith's gaze began to make Naruto sweat, that the woman let out a giggle.

"You should see the look on your face." She raised a hand to her mouth in an attempt to try and stifle her giggling. It didn't work and soon she didn't even bother trying to hide it. Naruto's scowl at being tricked soon morphed into a smile as he chuckled. Removing his arm, he pulled away from the girl, backing up several steps as he looked at her with a grin.

"So how was it?"

"It was..." Aerith paused, placing a single finger under her lip, eyes pointed towards the plate above them as she adopted a thoughtful expression. "Fun," she decided in the end. Looking over at the grinning blond she let one of her own come over her face. "We'll have to do that again."

"It's just too bad I can't teach you how to use chakra," Naruto said, slightly miffed. "Since you're not a child your coils are too set to actually use them. The only thing you'll be using your chakra for are Materia spells."

Aerith didn't understand much of what he meant, but she got the gist of it. Chakra was just the blonds word for Mana, or Magic, the latent energy found within all living beings. Normally, Mana was only able to be drawn out forcefully via Materia. However, Naruto had been trained to draw it out on his own, and he could use it to enhance his physical properties and do his wall and water walking thing.

Naruto soon began his training routine. Aerith found a nice spot under the tree that Naruto had grown some time ago and sat down, leaning her back against the trunk as she watched him. The blond started first by doing all of the regular exercises that even Aerith knew of; push-ups, sit-ups, crunches, pull-ups, squats and the like. He then moved onto suicides, essentially running from one point to another as fast as possible, back and forth for a certain amount of time. To her it had been like watching a blur of blond, black and red.

Then his exercises began to take insane to a whole new level.

Aerith watched in a mixture of shock, astonishment and 'by the Planet I can't believe he's doing that!' as Naruto began to go through his more... esoteric exercise routines. Things like balancing yourself in a single kunai and doing one-thousand push-ups with several boulders balanced on his feet, or strapping a boulder the size of a small car onto his back and running around the bluff. It was on this day that Aerith came to a startling realization.

Naruto Uzumaki, kind, warm, caring, lovable and a total hotty.

Also certifiably insane.

By the time he had finished up and was now walking over to her, shirtless, and with a sheen of sweat covering his body, Aerith was gawking at him like someone had just told her that the world she lived in was nothing more then an artificially constructed creation made for the entertainment of a child wearing a pink-trimmed blue robe, brown pants, black shoes, a red obi sash and a binky.

"Naruto," she said softly as the blond began using a towel he had brought to wipe sweat off his body.

Said man looked over at Aerith. She was looking down at the ground, her hair covering her eyes. Naruto suddenly became nervous. That look could not mean anything good.

"Yes?"

"I love you, I truly do. But I have to tell you right now, that you are utterly insane."

Whatever he was expecting her to say, that hadn't been it.

"Eh?"

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>The front commuter car was sparsely populated. And those few passengers who <em>were<em> inside couldn't leave fast enough as Barret stormed on board. The large man with the gun arm was a fearsome sight to behold, an angry giant stomping across the worn carpet between seats. When he got to the end of the car, he opened the door to the connecting compartment. He motioned behind him, gesturing for Biggs, Wedge and Jessie to go on ahead.

"Let's split up! Last thin' we need is getting' caught all together like this!"

Cloud and Tifa hung back as they boarded. The two sat across from one another atop seats still damp from a lazy morning's cleaning. Cloud found himself gazing outside of the window. The conductor ushered more people into the next car down, his white gloves caked in dirt and soot. Nearby, a lamp shone brightly, coloring the carpeted area in a golden sheen. A sharp bang forced Cloud's attention to be converted from the window. Turning away, his eyes glanced around the car, looking for the source of the disturbance.

The source of course, was Barret, who had slammed the door, securing Biggs, Wedge and Jessie in the car down. But as he turned away, he came to a halt, and found himself staring at someone who had not abandoned the car with the others. It was a businessman in a clean cut brown suit with sharp creases, clutching his suitcase closely to his lap. He looked surprisingly young, in his early thirties perhaps. Over his dark brown suit pocket was a Shinra identification card, hanging proudly and revealing him to be a head administrator for Shinra Company. Growling, Barret slammed his hand against the wall of the train as he looked away. The businessman jumped at the sound, looking down at the floor in a cold sweat. Cloud watched as the man muttered something indiscernible as he tried to console himself. Tifa looked at Barret with a worried gaze. Eyes fixing themselves back on the Shinra administrator, Barret's voice came out as a gravelly rumble.

"You say somethin'?"

The Shinra man shrank into his seat, squeezing his suitcase close. Barret growled when he didn't receive an answer.

"I said, 'you say somethin'?"

Turning around, Barret walked in front of the man, his enraged eyes glaring down at the Shinra executive. On the other side of the car, Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances, each wondering whether they should intervene or not.

"Will you look at that? It got empty alluva a sudden…"

The leader of AVALANCHE looked to his side where the businessman started to shake anxiously. But, after a moment, the man looked up at Barret. His voice stammered, but he spoke clearly, committed.

"It… it's empty because of guys like you."

Facing the man, Barret towered over him. His hand crashed against the luggage rack above. The man jumped in shock. Tifa rose to her feet, gazing over at Barret. Yet, despite Barret's aggressiveness, the businessman continued to speak. He stuttered with each word.

"You… you've seen the news, right? AVALANCHE says there'll be more bombings. But I have a family to feed! I have to keep my job; I have to go to work! Only a devoted employee would work in Midgar on a day like today."

Barret lowered his head until he glared directly into the man's eyes. The man shuddered nervously as Barret flicked his identification badge with a finger.

"You work for Shinra?"

In defiance, the man held Barret's fiery gaze as the big man's arms flexed with deadly intention.

"I'm not going to give in to violence, and I'm not giving you my seat either!"

Before Barret could do anything, Tifa was at his shoulder, placing a firm hand on his back.

"Barret..."

Barret backed off, slow and deliberate. But not before pointing one last time at the sweating Shinra employee.

"You are one lucky bastard."

Refusing to even look at the highly frightened man again, Barret stormed passed Tifa. He moved over to where Cloud was sitting. Said ex-SOLDIER silently watched as the much larger man slammed into the seat across from him. Tifa gave the Shinra employee a look of put before joining them. Behind her, the businessman sank his face into his hands, his briefcase dropping to the floor with a dull thud. Cloud set his cold blue eyes on Barret.

"So what now?"

Barret looked at him, then barked a laugh. The big man leaned against an armrest, propping his legs up on the seats next to him.

"Shit… What the hell you so calm about? You're bustin' up my rhythm!"

Tifa sat down next to Cloud, shaking her head with resignation. The train shook, sending the ropes up above swinging gently with the momentum. Before Cloud's feet an empty can rolled idly by. Tifa looked outside the window.

"Looks like they finished connecting the cars. We're finally leaving."

Cloud continued to look calmly at Barret.

"So what's our next target?"

Barret gave another chuckle.

"Heh. Listen to mister serious-about-his-work! Awright, awright. I'll tell ya."

The train began to pick up it's pace, speeding over the rails as it surged upwards and began it's ascent. Cloud found his gaze looking outside of the window across from him. The plate of Midgar filled his vision, blinking lights and a mechanical underbelly seemingly descending towards them as if to crush the train beneath it's weight. Large stacks of garbage stretched out into the distance below. From his vantage point, he could see groups of people moving throughout the slums as specks that were getting smaller and less detailed with each passing second. Smog prevented him from seeing too far out. Barret pointed out the window.

"I'm sure Jessie's already told you, but there's a security checkpoint at the top plate. It's an ID scan system checkin' all the trains." Barret paused, as if to allow his words time to sink in.

Tifa couldn't help but add, "which Shinra is very proud of."

Continuing on as if Tifa hadn't spoken, Barret said, "it's a newer model they just put, don't know why but it's not like I care. But because of it we can't use our fake ID's anymore."

Cloud nodded. It made sense. Up above the train's speakers buzzed into life.

"Good morning, and welcome to Midgar Rail. Arrival time at Sector 4 will be 11:45am."

Tifa took out a small round watch from a pocket, looking closely for a moment.

"That means we've only got three minutes left to the ID checkpoint."

Barret grinned, putting his arms behind his head and shutting his eyes.

"Awright then. In three minutes, we're jumpin' off this train. Got it?"

As Barret became silent, Tifa grinned and without warning, shot up to her feet. Cloud watched, blue eyes following the busty woman as she made her way over to the viewscreen on the opposite end of the car.

"Cloud, come over here! Let's look at the railway monitor!"

Cloud frowned. He looked at Barret, who didn't seem to be paying attention to anything anymore as he fidgeted in his seat. Shrugging, the blond ex-SOLDIER stood up and made his way over to Tifa. He stopped just a few feet behind her.

"Hmm..." Tifa looked at Cloud with a thoughtful expression for a moment before smiling. "It looks like you've already seen this. I bet Jessie showed it to you." Cloud didn't deign to respond, but that didn't seem to bother Tifa as she smiled at him. "It's alright. Come a little closer."

Cloud looked at her for a moment, shrugged, and was about to do as suggested when the lights of the train shifted from stale white light to a powerfully bright scarlet glow. Alarm klaxins rang on and off, the train unexpectedly falling into crises mode. Barret yelped as he surged to his feet, banging his head painfully against the metal bar above. Cloud looked around the car, then his head turned to Tifa. Her reddish brown eyes were like a red flame in the irregular illumination.

Her voice sounded worried when she spoke. "This is odd. The ID checkpoint was supposed to be further down."

Before anyone could respond, the speakers crackled ominously. A lifeless robotic voice spoke slowly over the intercom with an uncanny calm in the sudden chaos.

"Type A Security Alert. Unidentified passengers confirmed. A search of all cars will be conducted. Repeat. This is a Type A Security Alert. All cars will be searched immediately."

Down the car, the Shinra employee crouched into a ball, grabbing his suitcase tight as if for protection. As Barret rushed to his feet the man looked away, unwilling to make eye contact. Barret hit a pole nearby with his fist.

"What the hell is goin' on?"

As if on cue, the door connecting to the next car quickly slid open. Jessie stood in the doorway. Behind her, the unseen dark flashed red and black. Her face was disheveled but determined as she motioned for them to come.

"No time to explain! We're in trouble. Get to the next car!"

"Shit! Someone blew it."

She rushed back into the other car, Barret, Cloud and Tifa broke into a fast walk, a column, unable to move much faster or past each other in the tight space. Barret began swearing as they made to move to the next car, when a computerized voice spoke from a speaker above them.

"Unidentified passengers located in Car #1. Preparing for lockdown."

They passed through the door to Jessie's car. As the last one, Cloud glanced over his shoulder. A thick metal door between the two cars began to slide slowly shut. Standing beside him, Jessie gave him a sharp poke. He swung his head back, looking at her. She pointed further down the car they were in, a silent plea to keep moving. Down by the next door, Biggs waved to them. He pushed back against the opening to the next car, muscles straining visibly as he shoved against the other side. He was trying to stop the next motel door from closing on them. Passengers nearby looked on, faces paling as they seemed to realize who was responsible. Speculation broke out. The lights faded and bloomed from scarlet glow to unfathomable dark, back and forth. Jessie spoke quickly as Cloud, Barret and Tifa pushed their way around the standing commuters.

"They're starting another check. If we're caught, we're done for. But, don't worry. If we move down the train, car by car, we should get awa…"

The loudspeakers overhead interrupted her.

"Unidentified passengers moving to the back of the train. Maximum security alert. Currently tracking location."

One by one, the members of the group slipped by Biggs as he held the door from closing. Veins on his neck and arms stood out. His body shook from the strain. Cloud slipped by. Soon, everyone but Barret had stepped past Biggs. Barret stared incredulously at the smaller man, seemingly unable to figure out how he was going to fit past. Biggs' voice came out weakly, telling Barret to hurry up. With a scowl, Barret ducked his head and then charged forward, sending Biggs sprawling before him. Together, they flew into the next car. The metal door slammed shut behind them.

Biggs sat up next to Barret, angrily tying his red bandana back on his head.

_'Sorry, Biggs. Had to be done.'_ Yet Barret smiled. After all, he wasn't about to give Biggs the satisfaction of actually _hearing_ the apology. Instead he came to his feet quickly and looked around the car. A loud wind pierced his ears, making hearing difficult. Ahead, Cloud and Tifa held themselves upright over by an emergency door slid open to the outside. Lights whirred past, spilling golden light across their features. They waited for Barret and Biggs to catch up. As he took in the situation, he realized that Wedge and Jessie must have already leapt off of the train into the tunnel. Biggs rushed over and looked to Cloud, his red bandana whipping about in the wind. The ex-SOLDIER gave him a sharp nod. Without a moment's hesitation, Biggs jumped out of the train, high-pitched yelp punctuating the leap.

As Barret approached, he gestured for Tifa to go next with one gloved hand. Instead, Tifa turned to Cloud. Her mouth opened, yelling, trying to pierce the powerful winds. Barret could not overhear. Cloud's response was clearer.

"Why did you come anyway?"

Tifa looked at him for a moment that seemed to stretch on forever. Barret looked on in increasing irritation. Her lip trembled a moment.

"Because…"

They didn't have time for this. Barret interrupted with a bellow.

"No time! Jump!"

Tifa glared over at Barret for a moment. Her long brown hair whipped across her face in the wind, alive. Then she jumped, tucking into a roll the moment she leapt into the air. Cloud looked over at Barret, his blue eyes alight. Barret smacked him powerfully on the back, gesturing for him to go on ahead.

"A leader always stays till the end. Don't worry about me, just go! Go!"

With that final command Cloud was leaping out the door, his hand clenching tightly to the hilt of his buster sword. As quick as he was able, Barret lumbered after him, boldly leaping into the nothing as the train surged on behind them.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>After she got out of the shower, used a towel to dry her body and a blow dryer her hair, Aerith wrapped the towel around her bust and began moving out the door to the bathroom. The smell from Naruto's cooking wafted into the second floor hallway, a delectably sweet scent that let her know he was cooking french toast, by far her favorite breakfast food. She walked down the hall and entered through the door to her bedroom.<p>

Aerith got dressed quickly, walking over to the dresser drawer on the other side of the room. She dropped her towel, letting it pool at her feet, and opened the lowest and second lowest drawers respectively, where her bra and panties were kept. She first slid on the panties, stepping into them and drawing them up in a single, smooth motion. Next came her bra, which she drew around her bust and hooked the clasp behind her back. Her hair got in the way a bit, but after having done this so many times, it was as easy for her as breathing.

Next came her normal outfit. She put her hands through the underside of her pink dress, sticking each one out of their respective exits, then she allowed it to fall around about her, pooling near her feet. Grabbing the fabric near her hips, Aerith tugged her head out of the exit at the top. Placing both hands behind underneath her hair, she flicked it out of the hole as well, letting it cascade down her back, at least until she could place it in her braids. She placed a pair of socks on her feet and, after locating them, pulled her boots on. The next thing to go on was her jacket. Once dressed, Aerith grabbed her red ribbon, her Materia, and then made for the door.

By the time she got downstairs, Naruto was already putting breakfast on the table. The food had obviously just been made, steam wafted up from it. French Toast with a side of bacon, eggs, and a glass of milk – how he got such a rare drink was beyond her – all of it looking almost too beautiful to eat. Almost. Already sitting at the table was Elmyra, her mother had been waiting on her, Aerith noticed, as she had yet to pick up her utensils.

"Morning mom!" She said brightly, cheerfully as she made her way over to the table. Naruto was already near her seat, pulling the chair out for her. As she sat down, Aerith favored him with a beautiful smile. "Thank you!"

Naruto smiled at her, then made for his own seat. Elmyra watched the pair, shaking her head before serving up her daughters plate.

"So Naruto tells me you woke up early this morning to watch him train?"

Aerith sent a sharp glance towards Naruto, who had an innocent look plastered on his face. He dutifully ignored her, instead choosing to serve himself and Elmyra some eggs, then grabbing a few slices of French Toast. As her mother thanked the blond, Aerith smiled brightly.

"It would be more accurate to say that he woke me up," Aerith said. Her smile was still in place when Naruto sent a look her way. It increased when she spoke again. "He was so loud this morning I'm surprised you didn't wake up from all the noise he was making."

"Oh?" Elmyra raised an eyebrow as she looked between the two. There was something she wasn't getting here, that much was obvious. However, she eventually decided to ignore them in favor of her food. It wasn't like the morning was any different just because Aerith woke up early. These two were always like this, enjoying playful banter in the morning to get the day started.

After breakfast, Elmyra began washing the dishes. With the dishwasher Naruto had somehow managed to buy it was very easy. Sitting on the couch in the living room, Aerith looked at Naruto and gestured to her hair, smiling sweetly at him.

"Would you mind helping me?"

She could do it herself, but it was difficult to plait her hair without help. Sometimes she had her mother do it, but she preferred Naruto's help. She wasn't sure why though, perhaps it was because of who he was, or maybe who he acted like. But it could also just be because of her feelings towards him. Whatever the case was, in the end it didn't matter.

"Sure," Naruto said with a mild chuckle. He moved behind Aerith and drew her hair back with his hands, then began the process of braiding her hair into one, thick plait. His hands worked deftly, nimble fingers showed off their dexterity as he worked. It might seem unusual for someone like Naruto to know how to braid hair. He could thank Mei for that, though she often preferred her herringbone style, she had taught him a variety of ways to style hair. Claimed it was her reward for helping him so much. He finished plaiting her hair a second later, then held his hand over her shoulder where Aerith could see it.

"Bow."

At his command, Aerith produced the bow in question. It was actually the red ribbon that she always wore in her hair, Naruto just called it a bow because of the way it was tied into her hair. She gently set it on his palm. Naruto's fingers curled around it as he retracted his hand, then brought it and his other digited appendage to her hair. He deftly tied the ribbon into her hair in the shape of a bow, the puffy red loops drooping slightly while two tendrils fell to either side of her plaited hair.

"Done."

When he was finished, Aerith offered him a smile as she stood to her feet. They moved towards the door as Elmyra finished putting the dishes in the dishwasher. She walked out into the living room, drying her hands on a small dish rag as she looked at the pair stepping outside the door.

"Bye mom! We'll be back later today!"

"Alright. Be careful!"

"We will!"

The door shut behind them. Aerith turned to Naruto and gave him as small smile as she held out her hand.

"Shall we?"

Chuckling mildly, Naruto reached out with his right hand, clasping it firmly in her left. Aerith grinned as she began walking, pulling Naruto along with her until he also started moving his legs. She swung their joined hands back and forth, like a pendulum between them as they made their way into Sector Five proper. It was early in the morning, so most people hadn't risen yet. However, there were a few people who were awake, the shop owners who were beginning to set up their stores for the day. It was one of those people that Aerith and Naruto walked up to.

"Good morning, Mr. Takehito!" Aerith greeted, that ever present beautiful smile on her face.

Takehito was a short, stout man in his late fifties with pure grey hair in a swept back style, a large beard and coal black eyes. He was wearing drab grey clothing, the kind that could usually be found on the people living in the slums. Turning around, his eyes lit up when they landed on the young beauty in front of him.

"Ah, good morning, Aerith!" He greeted cheerfully before offering a nod to Naruto. "Naruto, how you two doing?"

"Good!" Aerith said with a smile. As she began to chat with the much older man, Naruto took a moment to look around the slums. It had taken him a while to earn the trust of the people here. At first they had only tolerated him because he had Aerith's trust, it wasn't until he had rescued a child who had gone passed the walls that served as a barrier and run into some monsters that they had begun to actually like him. Since then, Naruto had become Sector Five's monster exterminator. When he and Aerith went to the church, the blond would usually create a single clone and have it patrol the grounds, slaying any monster it came across.

"So how are you and Aerith getting along?"

Naruto blinked, his mind refocused on the world around him. He turned his head and saw that Takehito had stopped speaking with Aerith at some point, who was now looking at some of the items on display, and had saddled up to him.

Chuckling silently, the blond berated himself for getting so out of focus that he hadn't even noticed this man walking up to him. For a shinobi, not sensing someone when they were near you was as good as death. And even though he hadn't done any serious fighting, he didn't want any of his skills to dull.

He noticed that the man was still waiting for him to answer, so said, "we're getting along the same as usual, I guess." Judging from the expression on the man's face, that was not the answer he had been looking for.

"What do you mean 'the same as usual'?" asked Takehito, raising his hands and putting up quotation marks as he said the same as usual. "You mean to tell me that you and her haven't tied to knot?"

"T-Tied the knot! What are you saying?" Naruto choked out, surprise covering his features. He blushed, both at being caught so off guard by the question and at the question itself.

Takehito gave Naruto a sly grin.

"You know, have you two started dating, going steady, become a couple, or whatever you youngin's call it these days."

Naruto turned his head, not wanting to look at the smug grin the man's face held at getting the best of him. His eyes soon found Aerith, she was holding up a small necklace with an angel pendant that held some type of gem in the center. She looked like she was enjoying herself. A small smile made it's way to his face as he continued to watch her. Seeing her, his mind couldn't help but replay Takehito's words.

Truthfully, Naruto didn't know what to classify his and Aerith's relationship. When he had first shown up on this world, she had been his guide and the one who kept him from his grief. She had healed him. Due to the similarities in their outgoing personalities – Naruto was more serious then Aerith, and tended to be more reflective then her at times – they had become fast friends. As time went on, and Naruto learned of Shinra being after Aerith for her powers, he had, in turn, become her protector. Months would pass and in that time their relationship had evolved. They became more comfortable around each other, it wasn't unusual for them to be physically intimate with each other; holdings hands as they walked, resting against one another on the train.

Then there was the few incidents during the night. Last night had not been the first time he and Aerith had slept together. It happened once in a blue moon, sometimes Aerith would come into his room and crawl into his bed. It hadn't happened more then a few times, in the entire time Naruto had been on Gaia he could count the number of times they had slept together on one hand. But it had happened.

Surprisingly enough, they had never kissed before. Not even a kiss on the cheek. It was odd, normally in any kind of relationship between two members of the opposite sex, a kiss would come before sleeping together, even if it was just platonically. But perhaps that was a by-product of them living together. Maybe they were just so comfortable that they felt sleeping together wasn't that big of a deal, while a kiss usually implied a romantic involvement with each other.

Naruto shook his head, dispelling the thoughts. He would think on his confusing relationship with Aerith later. Much later. Beside him, Takehito shook his head at the blond. It was clear neither him nor Aerith could see what was right in front of them. He looked over at the beautiful young woman, the flower girl of Sector Five. She was holding up another necklace. Takehito walked over to her.

"See anything you like?"

"Well, I really like this one."

Aerith put the one she had been holding away and pulled up the angel pendant necklace. It was rather beautiful, especially considering it was in a store located in the slums. The silver metal gleamed in the low lighting of the lamps surrounding the store, casting small reflections on the tiny linked-chains surface. The angel was very detailed, intricate, and obviously created by someone who had been in the metallurgy business for a long time. The small gem in the center was what really made the pendant, however. It was round, green, with wavy patterns that seemed to undulate and flow within it. Naruto was reminded of materia, only this gem was far to small to be materia.

"Would you like to buy it?"

The smile that had been on Aerith's face as she held up the pendant now looked unsure.

"I don't know..."

"How much?" asked Naruto, the suddenness of his question bringing the attention of Aerith and Takehito to him. Aerith looked at him in surprise, her mouth slightly parted as she blinked several times, while Takehito had a knowing grin.

"1,000 gil."

"We'll take it."

"N-Naruto!" Aerith said, a slight stutter in her voice. He looked over at her, curious as she looked torn between wanting the pendant and not wanting him to pay so much money. "That... that's way too expensive."

A shake of the head was Naruto's response.

"Nonsense. I have more then enough money to pay for this."

"Still... it's – you really don't have to..."

Naruto shrugged. "Your right, I don't." He looked at her, a slight smile on his face. "But it's not about what I _have _to do. I _want_ to buy this for you." Naruto would never say it out loud, but he liked spoiling her on occasion. He had done it before, and this surely would not be the last time either.

"Well... I suppose... if it's ok with you..."

With a grin, Naruto turned to Takehito. He pulled his wallet out of the pouch on his left, opening it, he grabbed the necessary amount of money and placed it on the man's outstretched hand. Takehito didn't bother counting the money as he pocketed it. This young man had proven he was a trustworthy individual.

"It was a pleasure doing business with you."

"Likewise," Naruto replied. His body turned, shifting so he could face the slightly stunned Aerith. She was holding the angel pendant in a loose grip in her hand. He walked over to her, his own hand reaching out to gently pull the pendant from her slack grip. Naruto took a step back, then raised his free hand and rotated his finger. "Turn around."

Aerith, still stunned – as well as slightly embarrassed – did as told. Twirling until her back was facing him. Naruto took several steps to close the distance with her. He undid the small clasp in the necklace, grabbing an end in each hand. The two appendages rose above Aerith's head and came down until the angel was resting just above the valley of her breasts. With deft, sure movements, Naruto clicked the two clasps together, then placed his fingers under her hair and pulled it back so that the metal chain would no longer be showing.

When the necklace was in place, Aerith turned around and looked at Naruto. At least for a second. She turned her head demurely, embarrassed, as she asked, "how does it look?"

"Hmmm..."

Naruto looked at her with a thoughtful expression, his eyes looking from the pendent hanging from her neck to the rest of her. He positioned his right hand under his chin, left hand holding up his right elbow in a pose of contemplation. Seeing such an intense stare, Aerith looked down at her feet, unable to meet the gaze. After a few seconds of silence, the blond's rough yet somehow soothing voice came to her.

"Don't like it."

Aerith blinked.

"What?"

Naruto chuckled.

"Yeah, it doesn't suit you."

Aerith's mouth opened wide, her jaw dropping as her eyes went to the size of dinner plates. She stared at Naruto, uncomprehending. After several moments, her mind seemed to finally register what he said, but this really only caused her to gape some more.

"But... but you... and I and..."

"Now, now, close your mouth, Aerith," Naruto teased with a grin. "You'll catch flies like that."

Aerith's shiver was not from the cold. Today was a warm day.

"You... you..."

She looked down, hair overshadowing her eyes, fists clenched and shaking as she stood in place. Mount Aerith was about to erupt.

"You jerk!"

Like that.

Naruto just laughed at her, blowing a raspberry as he ran off.

"That... ooh that man!" Aerith fumed. A few seconds later she took off as well, running after the blond man and screaming at him. Takehito looked after the pair as they ran off, a large trail of dust billowing in their wake. Shaking his head, he decided to go back inside and see what other items he had on sale.

"Ah, to be young and in love."

* * *

><p><strong>So some people seem to like this story and some people don't. In all honesty, I don't really care. While it's slightly disappointing that some people feel my story sucks, it's my story. I'll say to them what I say to everyone; no one is forcing you to read this. If you are reading this story, it is of your own volition, and if you don't like it there's this thing called a back button on the top right hand corner of your screen. Press it, and you won't have to read my horrible, horrible story anymore.<strong>

**And as another point to bring up, I'm not getting paid to write this shit. I write because I like to write, and I write what I want because if I wrote anything else it wouldn't be fun to write anymore. Now, if you want me to write what _you _want to see, then call me up and we can talk about the money you'll be paying me to write something that's not of my own work. If you don't like that you can either, as I said, hit the back button, or you can shut up, put up and continue reading.**

**Nothing bothers me more than idiots who continue to read my story only to complain because it's not 'what they want to read'.**


	9. A2 C9: Meet all the Men in my Life

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 2: The Battle for The Planet**

**Chapter 9: Is This How I'm Going to Meet all the Men in my Life?**

* * *

><p>The world spun in a hectic circle, curling around his vision like an untangling ball of yarn. With a loud <em>whuff<em>_,_ he hit the ground, hard, rolling about, out of control. Cloud cried out sharply in pain as his shoulder connected solidly with the side of the wall. Yet this mercifully enough, halted his momentum. He lay against it for a moment, the hard concrete allowing him to focus and regain his senses. Then he forced himself to rise, pushing against the ground, his muscles creaking in protest as he forced them to an action that brought sharp pain to his joints and ligaments.

Everyone spent a few minutes looking for each other as they recovered, wiping themselves clean of cobwebs and dust. Barret looked around as they met up. The tunnel stretched at a smooth angle, off into the distance. That was good, this correlated with the circular depiction of the gridded map that they had looked at Yesterday. According to it, they were somewhere on the outskirts of the central support structure within the central train hub that sprouted forth arms leading to the other stations. He gave a heavy sigh as he walked over to Jessie, leaning over to help her up with one strong pull. There was nothing to do now but hike the rest of the way.

An hour later, Wedge stopped and looked over his shoulder. The track lay behind them, unraveling like an uncurled snake. Bright yellow lights were scattered about every twenty feet, interchanging light and darkness. He finally figured out what had been bugging him, like a splinter in his mind.

"Why hasn't another train come this way?"

Barret growled, giving the rail next to him a kick as he walked. Jessie turned back and shrugged, errant strands of reddish hair straying across one cheek.

"With all those alarms we set off they must have stopped all the other trains."

Biggs, up near the front with Cloud and Tifa, launched into a jovial skip as he moved next to them.

"On the bright side, while they are preparing defenses at all their reactors, they don't know which one we are going for. They'll be stretched thin, giving us far less trouble than we expected."

Wedge trudged along with the group, musing inwardly as they trekked through the tunnel. He glanced at the others. Cloud's navy blue sweater was smudged with dirt, the blond in question absently brushing away at it as he strode forward. Tifa's white tank top had somehow emerged miraculously untouched. The silence continued as they walked forward, a group set on its mission to blow up the next Mako Reactor. But he couldn't keep going like this without knowing. Wedge had to ask.

"Is what we are doing right?"

Biggs gave Wedge a light smack on the back of the head with a laugh. Wedge stared at him. The roguish member of AVALANCHE smirked at him, but did not deign to answer. Behind Biggs, Wedge could see Cloud look away. Wedge asked again.

"Seriously, guys. How does blowing up the reactors help save the planet?"

Barret rumbled.

"Shinra keeps sucking all the lifeblood outta the pla…"

Wedge interrupted him, catching Barret by surprise. His voice rang out passionately, surprising himself with its sudden strength.

"But does is what we're doing actually making a difference? What's to top them from simply rebuilding all the reactors we blow up? Shinra Company is a global corporation. They have more money in their pockets then all of us have combined. Sure, we may cost them a couple million gil, maybe even a billion. But it's not like that'll be more then a tiny drop in the ocean of money they have."

Tifa walked over next to Wedge and grasped his arm to steady herself as she walked over part of the railway below. She smiled at him with understanding, causing Wedge's to cheeks flush unseen in the yellow lighting.

"Well, Wedge, you have to think about what this looks like to the average person in Midgar. What we do may not truly injure Shinra, but given what they symbolize, our actions are made meaningful. They seek to dominate, to gain from the misfortunes of others. In a world ruled by Shinra, people want to be free. And when we take the fight to Shinra's backyard it shows everyone that they aren't the only ones, that they don't have to suffer alone. With our actions we give the world hope, and illustrate that the world isn't owned by the Shinra Company."

Wedge thought about it, and then began to reply. But he was suddenly interrupted.

"I saw an innocent old man dead yesterday because of what we did. He died broken and alone, far from the reactor's explosion. What do you say to that?"

Cloud's hollow voice seemed to echo down the tunnel. Silence reigned for a moment. The warrior walked proudly alone. Then Tifa walked over to join him. And smiled.

"I'm sorry to hear that, but did he truly die in vain? Yesterday, shortly after the explosion occurred, I talked to a regular in Seventh Heaven. He walked in, sat on a stool before me, and leaned on his arms upon the counter, gazing straight ahead. He spoke to those around him, with tears welling in his eyes. "_Today was the day hope was born_." Just after he said that, he ended up buying everyone drinks on the house. Isn't what we are fighting for worth that? We have a chance to make this world a better place. Shouldn't we give men, women, children, and their children's children a hope, a chance at a brilliant new future without this? Without the warped authority of Shinra?"

"So we get to decide who lives and who dies?" asked Cloud. "If an innocent person is in the way of or goals, it's perfectly justifiable to kill them, that seems to be what you're saying."

"That's not what I'm saying at all," Tifa told him with a frown. "The loss of an innocent life is regrettable, but we can't save everyone. We do what we can, even though it's sometimes not enough."

"I saw a lot of dead people yesterday, Tifa," the ex-SOLDIER told her softly, in the quiet din of the tunnel his voice was heard by everyone. Barrett turned to give Cloud a suspicious look, while Wedge, Jessie and Biggs had gained both introspective and unsure expressions on their faces. "A lot of those dead people were innocent bystanders who got caught up in the blast, most of those who had died were children, some even looked to be as young as two or three. Their corpses had littered the street. Are you telling me you're ok with that so long as we manage to accomplish our goals?"

It wasn't that Cloud particularly cared for the loss of so much life, he had seen worse, but these people needed to know what they were doing. They needed to understand that their actions, despite their noble intention, were not as good or benevolent as they wished. By playing devil's advocate, Cloud was able to test their resolve.

Tifa was silent for a moment, Cloud continued walking, waiting to see what his childhood friend would say. His boots rang solidly against the metal plates below. With a deceptive gentleness, Tifa grabbed his arm.

"No one likes it when civilians get caught in the crossfire," she told him, her face gaining a grimace. "I don't think any of us realized how big that explosion would be. But things will be different this time," she insisted. "The bomb Jessie created has less power than the other one, and it should limit the blast radius to the reactor itself."

Cloud gave a nod, but didn't say anything. There were a lot of other factors involved in an explosion than the blast itself; the shockwave that would spread out after the initial explosion, falling debris from the object that blew up, fires that could potentially spread through the city. It was easy to say 'things will be different this time', but the truth of the matter was that when working with explosions of any variety, one could never account for factors and added variables like that. Death would happen no matter how hard they tried to prevent it.

Suddenly, Cloud stopped in his tracks, looking ahead. Wedge moved to one side, trying to see what the ex-SOLDIER had spotted. Tifa halted as well, calling back to the others.

"Guys, check this out."

A few feet ahead of them, the tunnel's lights shifted. The golden tone changed, gradually turning into red ones with a darker hue in a dimented form of a gradient. As they all came to the front, Wedge shivered. They were going into the belly of the beast.

"The reactor is just down this tunnel."

The deep voice rang out, piercing through Wedge's unease. Barret stepped in front of him, moving on up ahead. He looked completely unfazed by the change in scenery. After a few moments hesitation, Wedge followed the others as they continued walking. Overhead, the scarlet squares flickered dimly, covering them all in a sheen of blood red light. Small particles of dust were kicked up with each step the larger man took, heavy footprints hitting the ground with a thud. As they came around the corner everyone was forced to stop.

Five horizontal beams of solid green light shone before them, stretching from the ceiling down to the concrete floor, blocking the passage. Barret stood in front of the beams, squinting at them with confusion. Stepping forward with an inquisitive look on his face, Biggs reached out to touch one. Before he could even get close, Cloud was there, slapping his hand away.

"Ow! What the hell, man?"

Cloud simply stared at him. Tifa walked over, keeping an eye on the beams while talking in a soothing voice.

"Careful, Biggs. We don't want to set off any more alarms."

She looked over at Barret.

"We can't go any further."

Barret gave a short nod, frustrated by the barrier. Wedge watched. This was not part of the plan. They had come so far, only to be stopped by this? He walked around, looking about as he waited for Barret to decide on what to do next. He inspected the pathway. The train tracks ended here, but he couldn't see any control panel in sight. There had to be some way around it.

Suddenly, he fell. Wedge cried out, his left leg disappearing from sight beneath him. Everyone whipped around, watching in shock as he began to slide, impossibly, into the ground. He began to freak out. He didn't want to die! Desperately scraping against the steel floor with his fingers, Wedge panicked when they couldn't find a purchase. Quicker then the eye could track, Tifa was there, next to him. She grabbed his hand, feet planted firmly on the ground as she hoisted him up. Wedge thanked her profusely, bowing even as he backed away from the opening he had nearly fell into as quickly as his legs could carry him. Jessie walked over to his side and placed her hands on his shoulders, speaking softly to console him as his body shook for several seconds, the feeling of adrenaline fading from his system. The others looked down at what had nearly taken their comrade away from them.

A square chute lead down below, a dark steel passage turning and twisting down underneath the bright barrier above. Cloud leaned down to inspect it more closely. It wasn't very big, perhaps big enough for a single person but even then it would be a tight squeeze to get inside. Cloud sent a glance over to Barret, who, after several seconds realized why the blond ex-SOLDIER was looking at him and gawked. He looked to the barrer, then back to Cloud, a skeptical expression on his face before looking back at the barrier.

"That is one damn tiny hole."

Cloud nodded.

"You're tellin' me to squeeze into that to get under the gate?"

Cloud nodded.

"But… but damn, man! That thing gives me the chills."

Cloud, still looking at Barret, motioned downward slowly.

"Go. Down."

Barret shook his head sadly. Biggs snickered at the larger man's misfortune, truly, he was going to enjoy watching his fearless leader squirming for a change.

At the bottom of the shaft, a steel cart filled with boxes lay underneath, awaiting new deliveries. Without warning, a blur of red and brown flew out of the opening. It flew head first into the cart with a grunt. A man with a red bandana sat up, rubbing his sore head. Soon after, a giant brown and black form followed. It smashed into the man, sending him back into the cardboard. Boxes flew in all directions. Moaning painfully, the first man extricated himself from the mess to lay himself out on the floor. As he did, he raised his head to gave the big man still in the cart a fierce glare. Said man meanwhile stood to his feet, a large grin plastered on his face.

"Damn it, Barret! You just had to shove me in first, didn't you?"

Barret continued grinning as he stepped out of the cart. A screaming Wedge shot into it behind him as he did.

"Oh stuff it, Biggs. You can take it."

One by one, they all came down the chute. As they did, Barret inspected the room. They were in a sizable storage closet, surrounded by glinting shop tools and various metal projects under construction. The area was very neatly kept, or at least it had been until they had arrived. The steel floor was littered with boxes now. Cloud kicked a few out of his way as he approached the door. He gestured for the others to stay behind him. Careful to keep his sword from hitting the wall, the blond ex-SOLDIER put an ear to the door, wincing briefly at the feel of cold metal touching his skin. He frowned, shutting his eyes as he listened. After a few moments, he leaned back and grasped the silver handle. Slowly, quietly, he opened the door, grimacing a bit as it made a slight groan. When it was open, he peeked out and slowly looked around the corner.

It seemed luck was finally with them. The chute had deposited them directly outside of the hallway to the main reactor control room, completely bypassing the need for a fight or forced entry. Cloud looked behind him as the others walked out, his mind a whirlwind of activity. The most probable explanation he could come up with for that shaft being there is that it had been created for cargo trains to drop of materials that were sturdy enough that they could just be slid down here, ready to be used by Shinra technicians for the Mako Reactor. That was his theory at least. Looking down the hallway, Cloud was relieved to see that there wasn't a single Shinra guard in sight. Still, just because no one was around now, didn't mean a patrol wouldn't come eventually. If they wanted to avoid detection then they would need to move fast. When the rest of the group was standing in the hallway, Cloud moved to stand over by the black metal door that led to the main reactor room.

"Everyone get ready. There might be guards inside."

Wedge and Jessie weren't really fighters, thus they hung by as the other four gathered in front. The barrels of Barret's gun arm spun, as if eager to be put to good use. Bigg's had a grin on his face as he whipped out a pair of pistols, twirling them around his fingers expertly. Red leather gloves creaked as Tifa cracked her knuckles. In front of the group, Cloud lightly touched his blade, confident that he would be capable of drawing it fast enough if need be. Reaching out with a hand, he triggered the opening mechanism.

The gate opened slowly, steadily, as the gears on each side rotated against each other. The thrum of the mechanical contraption was accompanied by the grinding of the gate's treads against the ground as it opened. It hadn't even finished opening fully when Cloud stepped inside.

Much like their last mission, the central control room of the Mako Reactor was a gigantic cavernous circle. One lone bridge stretched out to the control booth on the other side. A pale green luminescence dominated the room, all around them, tiny motes of emerald light rose up from the depths below. Cloud stepped forward. The grating clanked underneath him with each step he took. His eyes darted around, hand going to the hilt of his sword, ready to be drawn at a moments notice.

Suddenly, green and yellow flames began to slither across the walls. The whole of the reactor seemed to catch fire, aflame, except for the narrowing walkway. A cold sweat broke out on Cloud's face. He shook his head, realizing what was happening, but not what it was. Ignoring the visions, he walked on of darkness swam across his vision. They taunted him with their presence one moment, and then slid away from his eyes the next. Without conscious thought, without meaning to, he gazed over the side of the bridge into the pit below. A rising green fog seemed to swirl in a deep, thick ring below. A vortex rising to consume his soul. Shaking furiously, he fell to the ground. His glazed eyes looked up one last time to see Tifa crying out as she rushed to him. And then he saw no more.

_His eyes opened and he looked around. All around him, massive gears rolled and turned in the darkness, a creaking industrial noise starting in time with the onset of awareness. The bridge he laid on was cold, unfeeling metal. The firm gray steel pushed against him as if he did not belong. _

_Cloud pressed a hand against his skull, seeking to shake away his grogginess. He looked over the side of the bridge. A dark pit lay below, but he could not see the bottom. In its midst, green mists swirled and pulsated in the depths. The mists taunted him, whispered to him, pleading with him as if they bore life. Shuddering, he tried to rise, tried to get away from the alien steel. His arms betrayed him, splaying him out across the surface. He couldn't move. He was too weak, to helpless to do anything. Instead he raised his chin and looked straight ahead, the foreign reactor was churning and writhing all around him._

_There she was. Tifa Lockhart. Kneeling on the steel platform ahead. He smiled, or at least he thought he did. She was younger, much younger. A brown and yellow wide-brimmed hat adorned her head as she sobbed, a yawning black doorway behind her. Wait, this couldn't be right. Was this a memory? Why was she crying? Once more he tried to sit up, but could hardly move, bound to the steel as if someone had installed rubber cement under him. Frustrated by his lack of ability, he called out to her. But she did not respond. She was there, sitting, crying over someone in front of her. The man's brown hair was matted with blood, an older man whose hand she held closely as if it were the dearest thing in the world. With a shock, Cloud belatedly recognized him as Tifa's father._

_To her father's side lay the bloodied weapon. Cloud's heart seized up, turning to ice. He what that was. The sword of the betrayer. The blade of the chosen one. The wicked steel curved and stretched at an unbelievable length. The sword was thin, but he did not let that fool him, he knew from experience how powerful that sword was. He also knew that it was the swords wielder that had made it so legendary._

_Tears ran down her beautiful face, falling down gracefully down her chin as she leaned over to hold her father close._

_"Papa…"_

_She then fell back, consumed by the weight of her loss. But, even as Cloud watched, her features twisted into anger, eyes began to blaze with an incredible fury, marring her beautiful features. Her loss was replaced by something new. Something terrible._

"_Sepheroth. Sepheroth did this to you, didn't he?"_

_Her brown eyes set forward as she shook uncontrollably. Rage fueled her as she pounded the steel beneath her._

_"Sephiroth. SOLDIER. Mako Reactors. Shinra. Everything..."_

_She slammed the ground with her fists, bloodying them in her fury._

_"I hate them all!"_

_Rising, she took the sword, dragging it behind her as she walked into the doorway, trembling as she walked into the abyssal darkness yawning open to greet her._

"Cloud!"

Tifa brought her face before his, trying to feel for breath, see some form of movement, any hint of life. She checked his pulse. One. Two. Three. He was alive, the beat of his heart was steady, if a tad slow. So what was wrong with him? She slapped his cheek once, twice, thrice. Why wasn't he waking up? A gasp escaped her lips as his eyes finally opened. His pupils were dark, vertical slits. She stared at those eyes in horror. Within his blue eyes were green flames, raging furiously, as if trying to escape his body and devour the world. At some point, Cloud seemed to recognize her. Barret yelled from behind Tifa.

"Damn, man! Get a hold of yourself!"

Cloud gazed at Tifa as if for the first time. He forced himself to smile, as if to shrug off the seriousness of the incident. Tifa was near frantic with concern as she held his head in her lap. His voice came forth, a hoarse whisper.

"Tifa…"

She absently ran a hand through his hair, trying not to appear flustered.

"Are you okay? I'm here. Everything is all right."

Cloud shook his head, trying to ignore the mild ache that went through his skull with the action. He made to stand, ignoring Tifa's worried gaze on him. His eyes returned to normal, but they still looked like there was something there, something... else, locked away within those depths. She stood as well, staying near him as he checked the straps on his massive sword. Satisfied, his eyes landed on her.

"It's okay. Forget about it. Come on, let's hurry."

Barret came to the front, giving Cloud the timed bomb with a skeptical look. Ignoring him, Cloud turned away, quickly typing in the proper commands and fastening it underneath the controls. They all watched him as he stood once more, their frowns betraying a hint of worry. In front of them all, the ex-SOLDIER took one long stride after another, leaving the room without looking back.

They traveled through the hallways and tunnels leading back up to the surface, meeting little resistance. Those few guards they encountered they avoided as they slipped through alternate hallways. Cloud took point while Barret and Biggs hung back, checking their flanks. The last thing they wanted was a loud encounter with another guardian robot. But, to their pleasant surprise, none came.

The black elevator that led up to the surface greeted them once more. As they gathered silently within, Wedge smiled. They were so close to being through with this place, done with yet another reactor, safe and unhurt from Shinra's defenses. Given that this reactor appeared to have the same layout as the other, Wedge realized that the bridges above the chasm were the last obstacle to cross before they could make good their escape. The elevator shook as they rose, shuddering with every couple of feet. Then, as the door opened on the top floor, Barret inspected the timer. Wedge watched as Biggs looked over one big shoulder.

"I sincerely hope you set it right this time, Barret."

In the dimly lit room on the top floor, the numbers on Barret's wrist shone red on the man's bearded face. Twelve minutes. They had plenty of time.

As he stepped out onto the catwalk, Wedge looked down below. The chasm exuded the familiar green mist; it seemed to grasp at the walls it floated near. This time though the pit was split in half, divided into two different sections. On the side closest to them, the walls were as expected, descending into opaque green fog. On the far side, Wedge could see far down into the slums below. It calmed him to gaze at the lights twinkling far off. With the others, he jogged across the bridge to the building nearby. Now he understood the rationale behind the briefing from this morning. Barret had explained that today's explosive would make for a more concentrated explosion, keeping the slums safe from collateral damage. The first blast had been far too excessive.

Together they made their way across the catwalk to one of the hallways, their giant leader in front. However, Wedge was totally unprepared for what awaited them.

In front of him, Barret let out a loud exclamation of shock and began to rapidly back pedal. A dark form emerged before him, stepping out into the light and becoming known. Dressed from head to toe in dark red leather, a Shinra soldier walked out from the shadows. The Shinra insignia was stamped boldly onto his suit's forearm. In his hand was a sparking shock baton, with a rifle slung across his back. As the man advanced, twelve identical soldiers slowly followed behind, marking in a column.

Tifa ran to Barret's side, grabbing his vest tightly to tear him away. Wedge turned away, his heart pounding. Why were there so many soldiers? And why here? Why now, when they were _so close_? He followed in Jessie and Cloud's wake as they ran to the other side. But this was not to be. Jessie cried out in surprise, more Shinra soldiers stepping out of the opening. With no other choice, they made to run back to the reactor, back to where they wouldn't be so exposed, where they might have a fighting chance. But Wedge skidded to a stop, staring in disbelief at what lay before him. Cloud muttered as he crouched into a combat position, his sword drawn and shining with the reflection of light and emerald mist. Barret's gun arm was trained on the troopers at his end, his shock not overcoming his sense.

"SHIT! The hell's goin' on here!?"

"A trap. They were ready for us."

They all looked to the entrance to the reactor, witnessing the arrival of someone none of them had ever expected to see.

He emerged from the reactor, his pace slow but measured. He was heavyset, a blonde-haired man with a crisp burgundy suit that fit him snugly, tailored and expensive. He walked casually towards them. The portly man slid his hands absently across the silver railing of the bridge as he walked. He grinned cruelly, exulting in a moment of triumph. Barret stared at the man incredulously, literally shaking with barely contained rage.

"President Shinra?"

Wedge shook his head in confusion.

"Why is this happening? Why is the president here?"

With a smug smile, the President of Shinra Company clapped his hands together in amusement, his hands clasped before his cheeks like a child in delight.

"Hmm... so, you all must be that... what was it called again?"

Barret roared, whipping his gun arm around to aim it at President Shinra. But, before he could send off a single bullet, blue tranquilizer darts hissed through the air, colliding against his arm. Instantly, it fell to his side, dangling uselessly as he lost control of his muscles. Defiantly, he tugged it upwards with his other arm, aiming it in the president's direction. But, before he could fire, a trio of darts smacked into his left arm as well, leaving him standing helplessly in anger as his arms drooped by his sides, worthless. Wedge looked around, trying to see where the shots had come from. Flickering red lights in the dark. Snipers all around them, on the rooftops above. Ignoring the pain, Barret shouted, his face twisted into fury.

"It's AVALANCHE! And don't you forget it!"

The president tapped one finger on his lips, tsk tsking as he watched Barret struggle. But before the big man could start screaming obscenities, a dark blue form moved at the ready in front of him. Cloud's blade stretched out behind, visibly held back by powerful muscles tense and readied.

"Long time no see, President."

The President looked puzzled.

"Long time no see?"

President Shinra walked a bit closer. He leaned over slightly as he inspected Cloud's face with interest, cocking his head to one side.

The man straightened and gestured about him. The reactor loomed overhead, smoke billowing forth to fill the black sky. More and more Shinra soldiers gathered all around them, faceless masks revealing no hints of emotion, their movements efficient, mechanical.

"Here we are, right outside the site of your ire. Already, work has begun repairing the other reactor and all your actions thus far have amounted to nothing. Did things work out the way you expected? Tell me, traitor. What was your name?"

The ex-SOLDIER stared at the President of Shinra Company with cold blue eyes.

"Cloud Strife."

The president considered for a moment, then chortled in amusement. He backed up once more.

"Forgive me for asking, but I can't be expected to remember the name of all my underlings," he said, "I only remember the best. It can't be helped. That is, unless you become another Sephiroth."

Cloud's eyes flashed. Behind him, Tifa shuddered as if the name heralded the departure of warmth from the world, ushering in a wave of fear. The president continued.

"Yes… Sephiroth."

The man mused as he spread his arms across the rail to one side, looking over into the dark abyss below. Dull light pulsed from below, casting his features in a pale green.

"He was brilliant. Perhaps _too_ brilliant."

The president narrowed his eyes for a moment as he gazed downward, off in distant memory. After a moment, he shook his head, as if to shake away the arrival of unwanted thoughts. As if nothing had happened, the man turned back, focusing on Cloud with an arrogant smile.

"You could hardly expect to match one like that."

He withdrew one sleeve to casually inspect a watch. Barret growled, even with his arms useless he pushed passed Cloud.

"Don't give a damn 'bout none of that! This place's goin' up with a bang soon! Serves ya'll right!"

"And such a waste of god fireworks, just to get rid of vermin like you," Shinra shot back, earning another growl from the man. "Now then, I'm a very busy man, I've an appointment to keep, you see. So I really must be going. If you'll excuse me."

He waved a hand in dismissal.

"Your resistance is finished."

The president gazed upward. Wedge looked up as well, not understanding. Suddenly he could hear the sound of a helicopter chopping through the air, flying towards them from somewhere unseen. Then he saw it.

Overhead, a black helicopter sliced through the emerald smoke, its sides decorated with scarlet Shinra decals. It lowered down to pick up its master. As it did, Wedge and the others braced themselves, holding on to rails nearby. But not Cloud. Wind from the rotors tugged on the ex-SOLDIER's clothing, gripping his blonde hair and whipping it about. Cloud seemed to blink through it, standing tall before the wind and fog. He slowly raised his blade. Yet, over the loud sound of the helicopter, Wedge could hear dozens of clicks and snaps; guns were being cocked, readied, and pointed in Cloud's direction. Cloud froze and let the sword relax downward once more. Wedge couldn't look on and turned away, his eyes watering. He felt totally helpless. There was no chance. Nothing he could do could change the outcome here. Hanging in the air next to the bridge, the president of Shinra prepared to leap onboard the helicopter, its black and red form cutting through the green mist as it held itself still in the air.

Barret snarled. "Come back here ya asshole! I ain't done wit' you yet!"

Wedge's heart sunk. It was over. Their lives were lost, their mission overwhelmed by one fat man and a world's worth of faceless soldiers. He imagined Shinra's military already swarming over the bomb in the reactor core. They'd disarm it, and with it, their legacy. He sank to his knees. Shinra soldiers and snipers advanced slowly upon them, guns aligning with their heads. This was the end. But, suddenly, Wedge was shaken from his anguish. A strong young voice sang out like a clarion call against the onset of despair.

"Hey, Shinra!"

Biggs stood forth next to Wedge, refusing to give in. His red bandana whipped defiantly about in the turbulent air. Wedge looked up at him, filled with hope, seeing one of their team refuse to give in to desolation. The president looked over curiously. Biggs grinned.

"That scorpion bot was the stupidest thing I've ever seen in my life, you hack! You enjoy playing with such dinky little tinker toys back at home?"

President Shinra stepped back down from the railing. He gazed at the rogue for a moment. Biggs looked right back, his expression taunting the man to reply. The president spoke clearly over the din of the helicopter. His heavyset face lit up with a look of contempt as he talked, his hand forming a fist as he shook it in the air.

"Weapons Development created my scorpion to be a hunter, to be a techno-soldier to sweep away vermin like you when you become true pests. Its failure was merely another step in learning how to create a better model." He sniffed derisively. "I'm sure the data we extract from your dead bodies will be of great use to us in future experiments, to create ever better machines, the perfect weapons. Then I will rest comfortably in peace as they wipe the world clean of offal such as you."

With a cold grin, the president looked to a roof nearby, tapping his neck lightly with one finger. Instantly, a blue dart buried itself in Biggs' neck. He cried out in pain and shock. Wedge's stomach twisted as he watched helplessly. Groggily, Biggs fought to bring up his pistols. Instead, he fell, descending into a dreamless fog. Jessie cried out softly to one side. She reached out, just in time to stop him from falling onto the lifeless metal grating below. She knelt underneath their friend, and glared with tears of hatred at the president. The man simply laughed. Without another glance at the stricken members of AVALANCHE, the president of Shinra Company stepped onto the obsidian helicopter, disappearing as he flew off behind the reactor and out of sight.

Barret growled as he raised his sluggish arms, muscles beginning to respond normally once more as his will fought against the effects of the darts. Tifa helped Jessie to hold up Biggs as the poor man's head lolled from side to side. They all huddled in a circle as the Shinra soldiers advanced around them. But Tifa did not look to them. Instead, she gazed sadly towards Cloud.

As if in challenge, the ex-SOLDIER stood in front of them all, facing the thickest group of Shinra soldiers by the entrance to the reactor as they advanced slowly, their weapons clicking and snapping as they loaded bullets into the chambers. Barret looked over to the rest of them, rumbling under his breath as he spoke quietly.

"I fixed the bomb so it couldn't be disabled or tampered with before detonating. We need to get out of here now!"

Cloud heard and allowed himself to glance over for a moment, down at the red glow that was Barret's watch. The others looked down at it in apprehension. Two minutes left. Cloud turned back, then grimaced, his hands tightening on the sword in his hands. The Shinra soldiers raised their weapons as one.

And then everything exploded.

Shooting flaming chunks of metal from the walls, the Mako Reactor began to burst apart. Right before Cloud's eyes, the Shinra soldiers at the entrance screamed as they were consumed in the blaze, their lives devoured in an instant. Without a second thought, Cloud hurled himself to the ground. A jet of fire shot out of the opening, the heat burning against his back. The bridge gave a horrible shake, throwing the soldiers from their feet in all directions. To Cloud's side, he could see as some fell into the pit below or retreated into the hallways nearby. The might of Shinra scattered into the buildings and ran off the rooftops, stumbling and tripping as shockwaves shook the earth. Cloud turned his head to look behind him. Barret, Tifa, Wedge and Jessie covered the helpless Biggs as the sky rained fire. Biggs opened his eyes droopily, laughing drunkenly in Barret's shocked and indignant face.

"You just… don't know how to use a watch… do you?"

Cloud scrambled to his feet as tremors started to shake his section of the catwalk apart. He yelled as he moved, screaming at the others to get moving, to get the hell out of there. His instincts took over as the entire world seemed to shudder. He grabbed the nearby rail and leapt onto it. Moving quicker then the eye could follow, he launched himself forward, propelling himself away as the catwalk behind him fell into the dark abyss. In desperation Cloud reached out as he flew over the pit below. With one hand he barely grabbed the edge of a remnant of the wrecked bridge, catching himself as his body dangled hundreds of feet over the slums below. Yet just as he begun to think he was safe, his eyes registered something he hadn't noticed before and he swore. He had thrown himself to a part of the bridge that was separated from the others. Where once there was a connection, a gaping hole remained, the rest of the bridge fallen into the pit. Tifa ran over with a scream, only to be held back by Barret as she got too close to the edge. Jessie and Wedge ran off of the catwalk towards the last connecting hallway, Biggs in tow. Each of them gave a desperate look back.

Cloud's arm began to burn as he felt the strain on his muscles, he was barely holding himself in place as he fought to keep his grip against the convulsions of the reactor. He tried to grab a handhold with his other arm, failing miserably as there was no handhold to be found. Fragments of burning waste seared against his skin as they fell against his back. But he pushed everything away, his entire being focused on keeping himself from falling. Then something broke through the destruction, a female voice ringing out over the roar of screeching metal and falling debris. He looked tiredly behind him. There she was, shouting anxiously for him to hold on as she did her best to push Barret away. Her soft brown hair cocooned her distraught face as she leaned out over her side of the broken bridge, reaching out to him. At her side, Barret looked at her helplessly, trying desperately to prevent her from falling as well. Cloud watched as she wheeled around, looking up into the big man's eyes.

"Barret! Can't you do something?"

He shook his head firmly, but not without remorse.

"Not a damn thing."

Tifa gazed at Cloud, tears sliding down her face as she reached out to him vainly.

"Cloud! You can't die! Please don't die! There's still so much I want to tell you!"

Cloud's body turned slowly in her direction as his fingers slowly lost their grip on the bridge. Their eyes met, and for a moment, time stood still. His voice cut through the desolation.

"I know."

A final ripping explosion shook the bridge, hurling Cloud away. A fireball split the sky. Cloud fell, the world rising up to meet him.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Aw, come on, Aerith. I was just kidding. That necklace looks really good on you."<p>

Aerith didn't respond to Naruto's words, not even a huff as she walked down the dusty road of Sector Five. Ahead of them, the Church that was her special spot loomed ever closer, a bright light in the dark and grimy residence of the slums. It was a rundown place, much like everything else, but she liked it and that was all that mattered. Her head was raised, nose in the air as she continued moving, Naruto following behind her.

"I said I was sorry."

At what had to be his sixth admission of an apology, Aerith did huff.

"Sorry doesn't cut it."

As Naruto was behind her, he could not see her smile. She wasn't really angry, Aerith honestly wasn't sure she could get angry at the blond. She just wanted to see him squirm for a bit.

Naruto pouted from behind her back. His mind began to work out the problem, and how best to handle this new predicament he found himself in. He wasn't fifteen year old genin who was still a virgin, and thanks to his experience with Mei and Sakura he knew a fair bit about women. Granted, he couldn't claim to know everything, women were just too different from men. In some ways they were like an entirely different species, if one were to have listened to the rants Kiba used to give when he had been alive. Still, a part of Naruto couldn't help but agree, female's just had a different thought process then guys did.

Not that there was anything wrong with that.

After a moment or two, he smiled as the slightly devious side of his mind came up with a solution that he was sure would work to put him back in the good graces of his friend. And if it didn't, well, at least it would be evoke a funny reaction.

He increased the pace and length of his stride, yet managed to remain completely silent. It was a credit to just how skilled a ninja he was, even now despite having not done anything truly ninja-esque since the last time he broke into Shinra Headquarters quite a few months ago. He snuck in closer, until he was right behind her, then struck.

Aerith let out a startled squeal of surprise as Naruto's arms came around her. They slid around her waist, his hands coming to settle against her stomach as he pulled her back flush against his chest. He leaned his head down, slowly, and nuzzled his nose against the back of her ear.

"I'm sorry, please forgive me."

A shudder went through her. Small tendrils of pleasure and embarrassment as she heard his voice and words. Her body relaxed, unconsciously, without her realizing it. Aerith leaned against Naruto, her head lolling back and slightly to the left, her right cheek pressing against his left. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, fighting a losing battle as warmth spread through her body. His warmth. Naruto had always held an unnaturally warm body temperature. Elmyra had freaked out when she first felt his forehead and thought he had been running a fever.

"Don't think this will work on me forever." Despite the words trying to come out in a firm tone, the soft, almost whisper like quality of her voice took any sternness out of them. This was how it always happened, whenever Aerith got annoyed – or at least pretended to be annoyed – at Naruto's teasing, she would ignore him. And then he would hug her from behind, just like he was now, or do something equally intimate and apologize in the same warm, caring and compassionate voice he was currently using and Aerith would capitulate, unable to do anything more than forgive him. Even if she had not truly been angry in the first place.

Neither of them knew just when they had made a game out of it, but it was an enjoyable game nonetheless.

"When this stops working that just means I'll need to step up my game even more," Naruto teased. His face rubbed against hers, the skin on skin contact creating a surprisingly pleasurable sensation. Aerith didn't respond in words, instead her hands came up and were placed over the one's Naruto had on her flat stomach.

"By the way."

Aerith opened her eyes, emerald orbs meeting the deepest of sapphire. Naruto smiled at her and leaned in closer, all the better to whisper in her ear.

"That necklace really does look beautiful on you."

Aerith blinked, and Naruto had gently let her go. He walked in front of her, turning around as she stared at him with an astonished expression. Her porcelain cheeks had taken on a light shade of pink, complimenting her dress rather nicely, the blond thought. He smiled.

"Well, let's go. Those flower's aren't going to take care of themselves, you know?"

She watched as he walked off, her mind a chaotic mix of emotions. A hand came up to her chest, fingers lightly brushing against the angel pendant now hanging from around her neck. It was only after a few seconds, in which time the light blush receded some, though not completely, that Aerith allowed a small smile to play on her lips.

"Aerith!"

Said woman looked up to see Naruto standing a few meters away, hands on his hips with an amused expression.

"Quit day dreaming and hurry up!"

Spurned on by his words, Aerith moved into a quick trot, catching up to Naruto who waited until she was next to him before he began moving as well. Aerith slowed down, her pace changing from it's mild jog to a walk as she moved to Naruto's left. She looked at him, waiting until his eyes moved over to hers before giving him a mild pout.

"I was not day dreaming."

"Whatever you say, angel." The teasing tone in the blond's voice and the small smile on his face caused Aerith to puff up her cheeks slightly. Naruto did not see it, his eyes were closed. After a second or two they opened a crack, his pupils moving over to see her pout. His smile became a grin. Aerith raised a hand to cover her mouth and hide her own smile. He snickered a bit, and she giggled in return. They both reached out, joining hands and finishing their walk to the church.

Inside the Church, the pair made their way to the flower bed. There were a few gaps where flowers were missing. Cut off at the stems. They were the ones that he and Aerith had sold on the upper plate. There were three swathes in total, each around a foot in diameter. Aerith looked at Naruto and raised an eyebrow.

He grinned at her.

"Don't worry, I've got this."

Reaching into his left-thigh pouch, the blond shinobi called upon his chakra. It was unusual to him, that he could still use his chakra but not his jutsu. Anything that simply required basic chakra application like his tree and water walking, he could do without materia, but to use any kind of jutsu he needed the aid of his materia.

Unusual.

Calling the materia he wanted to his hand, Naruto curled his fingers around the orb and pulled the appendage back out. The materia he had in his hand was a dark, forest green. Three crescent lines, one flowing to the left, one in the opposite direction and one in the center, made up the general pattern that surrounded the orb. Like a grassy plain in Spring Country, the lines seemed to wave and move about as if caught in a light breeze. Naruto rolled up the sleeve to his shirt, holding out his right wrist. Slowly, he sunk the orb into his flesh, the materia disappearing as the small spot on his arm was engulfed in a white light. When it was in, he pulled his hand out.

"Alright!"

Naruto clapped his hands, rubbing them together as a smile crossed his face. Kneeling down, he closed his eyes and took a slow, steadying breath, then placed his hands on the ground.

"Seikaton:Tayō-sei, mankai no fīrudo."

In the swathes of emptiness between the patches of flowers, small stems began to grow out of the ground. They grew, moving further into the air in a slow, inexorable pace. Small leafs appeared on them at irregular intervals, some had more then others, growing out with no true rhyme or reason. The tallest of the stems reached a total of one foot before stopping. From the tips of the stems, a bud formed, small and bulbous, it brought a halt to the phenomenal growth. Then, the buds began to sprout, hundreds of them, unfolding at the same time to reveal a multitude of colors, shapes and sizes. It was incredible to look at. The sight of upwards of five hundred flowers gowning and blooming within a matter of minutes.

Aerith took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet aroma the new flowers brought. She looked over at Naruto, who looked a tad bit tired, and placed a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and she smiled.

"It always amazes me," she gestured to the flowers with her head, tilting it. "Seeing what you can do."

Naruto gave her a tired smile as his chakra reserves recharged. It would come as a surprise to most, but that jutsu was much more difficult then many of his other ones. Mainly because it was a sub elemental jutsu. Using the standard conversion rates he had created to determine the amount of chakra used in a normal elemental jutsu versus a sub element, Naruto could determine that sub elements, depending on their rank, could use anywhere from two to six times as much chakra as a normal jutsu. The one he had just used, Tayō-sei, mankai no fīudo, or, Diversity, a field in full bloom, was actually a B rank jutsu in power. This would make it the equivalent of an S rank elemental jutsu when it came to chakra cost. In actuality, it required even more chakra then his Fuuton: Tsūin Ransenshuriken, nearly twice as much.

It had been hard to use even before coming to this planet, here, where he required more chakra to cast jutsu, it was extremely draining. Instead of draining twice the amount of his Tsūin Rasenshuriken, at least the amount that jutsu would have cost in the elemental nations, it drained nearly four times as much. That was probably one of the things he hated most about coming to this world, all of his jutsu now took so much chakra that, with the exception of C and D-rank jutsu, Naruto could only cast maybe two or three B-rank and above jutsu in succession of each other, depending on how much chakra it cost. Though such an action would leave Naruto drained.

It was a good thing Naruto had his regeneration factor, which helped him with his chakra drain by restoring it in small but constant increments. Already he could feel his stores of chakra being restored. Sighing, he made to stand up, but stopped. He blinked at the hand in front of him, following it up to the forearm, bicep, shoulders and face to see Aerith's bright green eyes smiling down at him. With a grin, he took her hand and let the young woman help him up.

"Well," he started, clapping the imaginary dust off his hands. When Aerith looked at him he tossed her a grin and said, "shall we get started?"

Aerith smiled as she gave an enthusiastic nod.

"Let's!"

What followed was the two of them carefully checking over the flowers. Aerith would fill a small watering can from a pool of water that Naruto had created a while ago. She would come back and water the flowers, humming away. While she did this, Naruto would check the newly created plants for abnormalities. An overgrown stem there, a top-heavy flower here. Using his ability to manipulate plants he would correct them. This would go on for a few hours or so. They would work mostly in silence, talking only occasionally about one thing or another. However, neither truly felt the need to speak. They could understand each other without conversation just fine.

It was a silence that was soon to be broken.

It happened as Naruto was helping prop up one of the gardenias, whose flower petals were too heavy for the stem to hold up. One second he was using his abilities, the next his instincts were blaring at him, shouting out that something was coming his way. Never one to ignore such a warning Naruto did what any good shinobi would do. He spun, his eyes quickly finding Aerith before he jumped on her. Said woman let out a surprised shriek as he fell on top of her, shielding her with his body just in time for a loud crash to resound throughout the church. It echoed off the wall, bouncing thanks to the acoustics of the place. Large chunks of wood showered Naruto's back, he gave a grunt when a particularly sharp piece stabbed into his flesh. A dull thud followed the crash, along with a rustling of flowers. And then silence.

Naruto and Aerith stayed in their position for a while, neither speaking, with Aerith wide eyed and Naruto's brow furrowed. He reached behind his back, his hand grasping the wooden splinter in his back, yanking out with a pained grunt. The wound began to steam and hiss, flesh slowly mended until there wasn't even a scar. It took only took seconds to heal, something the blond shinobi was quite thankful for. He threw the wooden chip away, then set his hand back down, arms held on either side of the still shocked Aerith's head.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking at her with a concerned gaze.

"Yes... I'm fine." She still looked a tad surprised by the entire last several seconds of her life. "What just happened?"

"I don't know." Naruto pushed himself up, getting onto his knees, then standing upright. He held a hand out to her, which she took, and used it to pull her into a standing position as well. His eyes scanned the room, noting the showered pieces of wood that were scattered half-hazardly around the Church's interior. As blue eyes moved about the room, they eventually landed on the flower bed. More specifically, the still body lying in the bed of flowers.

"Not again!" The cry came from Aerith who hurriedly moved towards the unmoving body. "This is the third time this has happened!"

"Third time?" Naruto blinked, scratching the back of his head as he watched Aerith begin causing a fuss.

"My poor flowers."

A sweat drop appeared on the side of Naruto's head. He summed up his thoughts in just a few words.

"Somebody falls through the roof, and all she cares about are the flowers."

* * *

><p><strong>Cloud has finally run into Aerith and Naruto... or perhaps it would be more accurate to say he fell on top of them. Either way, the next chapter is the one I am sure you are all waiting for, the meeting of the blond's! How will the ex-SOLDIER and the ex-shinobi react to each other's presence? What will they say when they see each other for the first time?<strong>

**Perhaps they will trade tips on how they get their hair so goddamn spiky, perhaps not. You'll just have to wait for the next chapter to find out.**

**Pokemaster12, signing off to get lost on the road of life.**


	10. A3 C10: Two Blonds and a Brunette

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 3: Trouble Arises**

**Chapter 10: Two Blonds and a Brunette**

* * *

><p>Cloud awoke to the sound of voices.<p>

"So... do you think he's alright?" The voice was female, soft and lyrical. It was also familiar, he could have sworn he had heard it before.

"He's breathing," this voice was gruff, much deeper, definitely male. It sounded amused. "And I don't see much in the way of broken bones. Then again, it's kind of hard to tell if someone has broken bones just by looking at them."

"At least he doesn't look as bad as you did."

"Ouch." Cloud could almost hear the wince in the voice. "I'll have you know I was in an epic battle before I crashed through your roof." Roof? "And I was half dead before I fell into your lap."

A giggle was met by the man's statement. Cloud frowned, his mind trying to figure out what had happened, and where he was despite not yet having any visual images to go off of. He tried to move his body, but the moment he did a sharp pain erupted across his entire nervous system. His mouth made an attempt at opening so he could scream, but even that seemed impossible to accomplish. However, where there's a will, there's way, or so the saying goes. And if nothing else, Clouds will was iron clad. It took a lot of effort on his part, shunting aside the pain, but he managed to accomplish his task.

His left leg twitched.

"Oh, it moved!"

Cloud felt a slight annoyance at being called 'it'. But it wasn't like he could actually do anything about that right now, so he just focused on moving his body.

He twitched again.

"Naruto, maybe you should start using that healing spell of yours."

Naruto... why did that name sound so familiar?

"I guess I should, huh? He won't be getting any better if we just stand here."

There was the sound of booted feet hitting wood, footsteps that drew nearer to him with each passing second. They stopped, and there was a rustling as fabric. Though Cloud couldn't see what was happening, he imagined whoever had been walking was now kneeling next to him.

"Shousen No Jutsu."

What an odd name. He wondered what the name signified, but was only able to think on it for a second before he felt it. It was amazing. His entire body felt like it had been enveloped in a warm cocoon made from silk, his very being felt as if it were being held in a warm embrace. To his astonishment, he could feel the wounds on his body beginning to heal, broken bones began to mend, the pain faded from his receptors, leaving nothing other then the feelings of warmth. He sighed.

"That's usually the reaction everyone has when they first experience a healing jutsu."

At the sound of the amused voice, Cloud opened his eyes for the first time since his crash landing...

and promptly found himself staring into the amused, glowing blue eyes of a man who could have been his twin. He stared, wondering if he was looking into mirror. After awhile, he realized that, no, he was not looking at a mirror. There were subtle differences between him and this man, the hair and whisker marks for one. As he continued studying the visage before him, the other blond gave a sardonic grin.

"It's kind of like looking into a mirror, no?"

"It is a little... disconcerting," Cloud admitted. The other man nodded as he stood up, then held out his hand. Cloud frowned before reaching for it, grasping it firmly in his own. The man's muscles flexed slightly, and he easily pulled Cloud up. He let go, and Cloud began dusting himself off. Once finished, he turned his attention to his fellow blond, only to blink when he saw the man standing next to a beautiful girl. He absently recognized her as the one selling flowers.

"Well, I suppose introductions are in order," the man said, scratching under his chin with an expression of thoughtful repose. Shrugging a moment later he smiled and gestured with his left hand towards the girl. "This is Aerith Gainsborough."

"It's nice to meet you again," Aerith said with a dazzling smile. Cloud nodded to her, acknowledging the comment but not actually speaking. There was something odd about this girl, something he couldn't quite put his fingers on...

His attention left the girl when the blond then gestured to himself. "And I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

"Naruto..." Cloud tested the word, rolling it around in his mouth as it bounced back and forth inside of his head. He could have sworn he heard that name before... He looked back at the grinning man and frowned some more. There was something... familiar about this man. Not in the sense that Cloud knew him. Because, honestly, Cloud was positive that if he had ever met someone who looked so much like him before, he would remember them. No, this was more in the sense that he felt familiar, the way he held and carried himself reminded him of someone he had known a long time ago...

A sharp pang rang in his head. Cloud put a hand to his forehead, wincing as he began to try and message the pain away. Aerith and Naruto looked at each other, confusion and a small amount of concern on their faces.

"Are you ok?" asked Aerith.

Cloud nodded as he pressed his finger into his temples. "Fine, just a small headache," he said. Shaking his head several times, Cloud managed to eventually repress the headache, though it still remained somewhat, an ever present annoyance in the back of his mind.

It was only after he managed to suppress the sharp pain in his mind, that Cloud realized he hadn't introduced himself.

"I'm Cloud Strife, by the way."

"Cloud Strife..."

Now it was Naruto's turn to frown. His eyes gazed at Cloud with an intense look of concentration, causing the other blond to stiffen. For the first time in his life, Cloud could understand why some people found his gaze disconcerting. Those eyes, glowing blue beacons that contained unimaginable depths of power and will that had been forged through many battles were disconcerting, to say the least. Was that what his own gaze looked like?

After several seconds of this, Naruto's eyes lit up and he snapped his finger.

"Now I remember!" He shouted, startling Aerith who had been watching the byplay in idle curiosity. A single finger pointed at Cloud, a triumphant grin on his face. "You're Tifa's childhood friend!"

"Um... yes, that's right." Cloud looked at Naruto with a look of general confusion. His brow furrowed for several moments before evening out. "And now I remember you. Tifa mentioned you once when Marlene mistook me for you."

"Ahahaha!" Naruto gave a hearty laugh as he heard Cloud's words. "I'm not surprised, even if I'm kind of hurts to know Marlene can't tell the difference between the two of us." He sighed, then shrugged and perked back up so quickly it startled Cloud. "I guess it can't be helped. It's not like I see them very often."

"Excuse me," Aerith said, finally deciding to interrupt the slightly amusing conversation between the two _almost_ look a likes. When Naruto and Cloud turned to look at her, Aerith placed her fisted hands on her hips and leaned over towards Naruto ever so slightly, fixing him with a glare. "Who exactly is Tifa?"

"Uh..."

Naruto began to sweat as he realized that he had not told Aerith about Tifa and his infrequent trips to Seventh Heaven. He had meant to but truthfully just forgot, it wasn't like he spent much time there. And every time he had decided to tell her, she would do something, or something would happen and it would cause him to forget again. Of course, all of these thoughts passed by too quick for Naruto to truly contemplate. In the face of the semi-stern green eyes, he found that they really didn't matter. He needed to come up with some kind of excuse before he ended up in the dog house.

Fortunately for Naruto, a distraction made itself known.

Unfortunately, the person causing it wasn't one of Naruto's favorite people.

"Great, and I thought one of you was bad enough. Now there are too of you!"

All those present turned to see Reno standing in the doorway, nearly two dozen armed Shinra troops at attention behind him, rifles gripped firmly into their hands. He walked in, taking in the scene with mild interest and annoyance. His eyes went from Naruto to Cloud, then back to Naruto and his eye twitched.

"This doesn't look like your average clone," he commented, pointing to Cloud with an annoyed expression on his face. "What, did you just start body splitting while I wasn't looking or something? I hope to god you two didn't somehow conceive a child and accelerate it's growth."

"Don't be ridiculous," Naruto said with a smile, though his, and Cloud's, and Aerith's for that matter, eyebrow did twitch at the child comment. "There can only ever be one, Naruto Uzumaki!"

"..."

A long drawn out pause. Reno and Aerith both gave Naruto deadpanned looks while Cloud tried to understand what was going on. Naruto scratched the back of his neck and gave a sheepish chuckle.

"Ok... so maybe there can be two or three of me, depending on my mood."

"Whatever," Reno sighed, running a hand through his unruly red mop. "I don't have time to deal with this. Nor am I paid enough. So let's just get this party started."

"I couldn't have said it better myself!" Naruto replied with a grin. He set himself in a basic taijutsu stance as Reno pulled out his electro-mag rod, flicking it out and turning it on. The soldiers behind the red head all bent down on one knee and aimed there rifles. Naruto counted the number. Twenty-one. His mind began processing the best way to defeat them while protecting Aerith at the same time. He would need to strike fast, take out the weakest ones first. His Seikaton would help him here. Nothing surprised people better then getting swatted into the air by a tree that grew out of the ground beneath you. Then he would take the battle to Reno and –

SMACK!

"Ouch!"

– his thoughts were interrupted as Aerith walked up to him and promptly thwacked him across the head.

"Aerith," Naruto whined piteously as he held his head. He was sure that would leave a bump. "What was that for?"

"Have you forgotten?" asked Aerith, raising an eyebrow at him. He looked at her, his expression turning quizzical, causing Aerith to roll her eyes. "No fighting in the church. You'll ruin the flowers."

"Oh," Naruto replied lamely. "Right." He looked over at the flowers, then at Reno and the troops pointing their guns at him. "Sorry Red, it looks like we can't play today."

"Grr! It's Reno, damn it! RE-NO!"

"Yeah, that."

Reno seemed to growl in irritation at the blond, who turned his attention to Cloud. The other blond was frowning, his eyes staring at Reno and the Shinra troops as his right hand lightly touched the handle of his sword.

"Hey, Cloud!" His voice caught the other blond's attention, making him turn his head to look at him. "Call it a sixth sense, but I get the feeling you're no more friends with these guys then we are. How do you feel about forming a temporary alliance so we can make our escape?"

Cloud blinked, his eyes flickering as he ran the words and their meaning through his head. After a moments thought, he gave his fellow blond a nod. "That would be prudent."

"Great!" Naruto cheered, before turning his head towards Aerith. "The door, if you would." Nodding, Aerith did as asked and quickly ran towards the door in the back, opening it and disappearing inside. When she left, he looked at his comrade of circumstance. "Let's go."

Cloud looked at him, then gave a sharp nod. Together, the two blond warriors ran through the door, leaving Reno to stare after them.

"Great, this is just fan-fucking-tastic," Reno groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. "Now we not only have to deal with that Naruto guy, but we also have to take out this new guy. And I didn't even get back up for this mission!" Not quite true, he had the Shinra troops behind them, but they were nothing more then fodder against someone like Naruto. He sighed, "well, whatever. Come on you guys, we've got work to do."

The room in the back of the church was immersed in dust that rose in small clouds behind them as they entered at full speed. An old and winding stairwell edged around the room, stretching upwards into the attic. Halfway up, the path was broken; a massive rusted metal plate destroyed the stairwell where it lay curled against the side of the wall. It was as if the plate had fallen from above like a javelin to split the stair in half. The plate was long and smooth, stretching all the way up near the top of the ceiling. On the floor nearby, ornate wooden tables and chairs were strewn about, left long alone after years of disuse.

"We need to get onto the rafters," Naruto pointed up, drawing Cloud and Aerith's the massive planks of wood located near the ceiling in intersecting patterns. He looked over at Aerith, she was scared, but hid it well. Offering a smile to her, he said, "are you ready?" Aerith looked a little unsure, but nodded after a second had passed. "Just like we planned then." Bending down he presented his back to Aerith, who hopped on, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs went to either side of her waist. Naruto's hands came up under her thighs, grasping them firmly. In a smooth motion he stood up.

Meanwhile, Cloud was busy studying the interior of the room they were in, gauging the distances between sections of broken stairwell.

"Cloud."

Cloud turned to see Naruto looking at him, Aerith riding on his bock.

"You ready?"

Cloud gave a sharp nod. The two of them began ascending the stairs, Naruto had already memorized all of the structural weaknesses the building had by heart. He moved deftly, hopping over a broken floorboard here, stepping around a rotten plank of wood there. Cloud had it a bit harder, but it didn't take him more than a few seconds to catch on and begin copying Naruto's movements.

Dark forms entered the room below. The Shinra soldiers spread out, elbowing away old mirrors and kicking aside elegantly carved chairs. As one, they raised their rifles and took aim at those fleeing above.

"Shit!" Naruto swore as he heard the click of rifles being armed and aimed at them. "Cloud!" He shouted, getting the attention of the ex-SOLDIER. "Do you see those barrels up in the rafters!"

Cloud looked up, blue eyes scanning the scanning the rafters. He spotted them easily enough, half a dozen barrels balancing precariously on the wooden beams, each one spaced about a meter or so from the others.

"Yes."

"I want you to go up there and toss those barrels at the Shinra Troops!"

Cloud eye's moved from the rafters back to Naruto. Their gazes met, and he gave a nod of assent. While it was clear he had no clue what the other blond's plan was, it was obvious that he did have one. He ran forward again as Naruto set Aerith down, but was soon forced to stop. Before him was a large, gaping hole created by the rusted metal plate. Unseen from his inspection below, old age and decay had helped to destroy some of the wooden stairs on the other side of the damaged hole. It would require quite the jump to cover that gap. With a sharp intake of breath, Cloud leapt over the gap, landing solidly on the other side. The wood below groaned and creaked alarmingly.

His eyes strayed over to where he had left Naruto and Aerith, crouched down where they were as the Shinra Troops began firing at them. He was about to turn back around and begin doing as asked, when he saw something that shocked him. Naruto had his left hand digging into the flesh of his right forearm, as in, actually _digging _into the flesh of his arm. The spot where his fingers speared through flesh were rippling like the water in a pond after someone drops a rock in it. A bright light also emitted from that area and it was translucent, as if intangible. When his hand emerged it carried with it a dark green orb of materia, one he didn't recognize. Quicker then his eyes could follow, Naruto's hand blurred, digging into his pouch and coming out again less then a second later, a different materia in his hand. This one was a dull gray, and seemed to have smoke swirling around inside of it, like dark storm clouds that gathered during a monsoon. The blond pressed the materia into his arm, the orb disappearing inside of it.

Naruto's left hand moved to his mouth, which opened to reveal a pair of sharp canines. Pressing his thumb against one of them, he drew blood, which he smeared across the palm of his right hand. For some reason, the blood offering was still necessary for this. He pressed his right hand into the ground and channeled his chakra.

"Kuchiyose No Jutsu."

Unknown Runes spread across the ground, seals used from another world. The glyphs expanded across the ground at a quick pace, hundreds of thousand of lines that only he could read. Naruto watched and waited, but not for more then a second, as the seals vanished to be replaced with a black hole. The hole, which sparked with red electricity, like a portal opening up to hell. Naruto reached in, his hand disappearing. The feeling of cold steal came to his finger tips. He reached further, feeling the leather hilt of his weapon. His fingers curled around the hilt, grasping it with a strength that was belied by his soft skin. Then he pulled.

Everyone, Shinra troops and ex-SOLDIER alike, even Aerith, stopped whatever it was they were doing to stare. As Naruto pulled his hand up, the hilt of a blade came with it. As if rising up from the netherworld, revealing the pommel, the hilt which Naruto firmly grasped, the guard and then the blade. Naruto rose to a standing position so he could pull the sword all the way, and when it was revealed, people gaped.

The sword was an Ōkatana, which was being held in a black scabbard with a golden ribbon tied around it while the blade's handle itself was wrapped in white silk cloth with an intricate design of black silk covering the sides of the handle make a straight line to the guard while sheathed. It had several engravings located around its white handle and on the endpoint of its sheath. As Naruto slid the blade out of it's sheath, it revealed a silver blade, it's polished finish gleaming and reflecting the world around it.

At the sight of the sword being drawn, the Shinra Troops opened fire once again. Naruto stood in front of Aerith, his blade moving in a blur as he began deflecting bullets. Sparks of light and fire ricocheted off the blade, the bullets that weren't outright sliced in half were sent sailing into the walls and floorboard. His teeth were grit, and he could feel sweat begin to break out onto his forehead. This was something Naruto had never done before, deflect kunai and shuriken? Yes. Deflect small metal pellets shot from several full automatic rifles? no. it was harder than he thought it would be, and Naruto found himself gathering more and more chakra into his arms in order to compensate for the speed the bullets were coming at him with.

Just then Reno emerged from the shadows behind them. The man only stood still for a second, before he ran forward, whipping out a thin metal baton and striking a nearby soldier's weapon down to the floor as he shouted at them over the roar of the gunfire. Cloud's eyes widened as he overheard.

"Do not kill the Ancient! No shooting near her!"

"Oi, Cloud!" Naruto shouted, now that the fire had stopped he was able to focus on the ex-SOLDIER. "Don't just stand there! Get up to those rafters and launch those barrels!"

"Right."

Cloud moved once again, heading up to the rafter using the rickety staircase ahead. When he got onto the first beam that made up the rafters, he looked around, searching out the nearest barrel, then moving to it. Down below, a few of the Shinra troops were making it up the stairs, Naruto was keeping them at bay with his swordplay. It was clear to everyone that he was a master swordsmen as he was easily keeping them from moving further. Each stroke of his blade was nothing more then a flash, and each time he lashed out one of the weapons being held by the Shinra troops was sliced into segments. Cloud grabbed onto the first barrel and looked down, spotting Naruto holding off the Shinra Troops.

"Naruto! Look out!"

Turning his head just a bit, Naruto saw Cloud toss the barrel down towards him. Grinning, the blond jumped back, surprising the Shinra guard that had gotten his baton locked against Naruto's Ōkatana. The guard stumbled forward, off balance. He barely managed to keep from falling on his face. When he straightened, the guard looked up, only to see a barrel flying right at him. It smashed into his face with enough force that he was sent to the ground. Being on a sloped surface like the stairs, this meant he began tumbling down the steps with loud _wumphs _each time he hit the wood. Several wood chips flew off from the broken planks of wood that made up the steps. He continued his downward tumble, knocking over several of his fellow troops in the process before stopping when he slammed into the wall at the other end.

The barrel, after hitting the Shinra trooper bounced backwards off the man's face, then hit the floor. Surprisingly enough the wood shattered, either due to the wood being weak and rotten or by design. Cloud was not sure which, though he suspected the latter. This was mainly due to the fact that when the barrel shattered, some kind of viscous liquid exploded out of it as well, drenching the Shinra Troopers from head to toe. The liquid, which was clear and looked almost like water, began to hiss the moment it touched the blue clothing of the Shinra troops. Seconds after that, their clothes began falling apart, hissing and steaming and melting off their bodies, leaving them in nothing more but the metal shoulder pads and their helmets. As cries of outrage, shock and embarrassment coursed through the troops who stopped and tried to cover their modesty on instinct, Naruto laughed.

"Cloud! The barrel three meters from your left! Throw it in the middle of them!"

Having already figured out that these barrels had been created by Naruto in case of something like this, he did as told, heaving the barrel requested over his shoulder and throwing it into the center of the Shinra troops. Like the first barrel, this one exploded as well. However, rather then the acidic clothing eating liquid, this one contained rubber cement. The white gooey liquid covered the Shinra troops, coating their bodies and hardening near instantly. It left them frozen in the positions they had been standing in, covering their man bits in an attempt to keep modest. Only now it looked like they had been jacking off and covered each other in jizz.

Naruto howled with laughter as he looked at the mortified and frozen Shinra soldiers. "How do you like that!?" Grinning widely, he looked at Aerith. "Shall we go?"

Aerith shook her head, sighing a bit as she looked at the coated in glue Shinra troops. There were times when she wondered if her blond friend wasn't perhaps taking his pranks too far. Who knew how long it would take Shinra to clear those soldiers out of there so she could use the Church again. Still, she had to admit it was funny, and he hadn't killed anyone this time, which she knew he never enjoyed doing and tried not to whenever possible. That was always a plus in her book.

Giggling a little, she looked back at Naruto and flashed him a dazzling and amused smile.

"Very well."

Acting with speed and grace, Naruto scooped Aerith into his arms, one under her knees and the other around her shoulder. She placed her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. This was quite clearly something she was used to. The blond took off running, reaching the large gap and jumping over it with ease. He ran up to meet Cloud who, after looking at his fellow spiky headed glowing eyed ally of circumstance, shook his head. Naruto ignored the blatant 'what the fuck' look he was receiving from his fellow blond. Choosing instead to set Aerith back onto her feet and begin giving orders.

"Alright, there's an opening passage up ahead that will lead to our exit. Let's go!"

Naruto, Cloud and Aerith moved across the beams to a large gaping hole in the roof. There was another beam that was leaning against it, acting as a ramp for them to get on. Cloud went first, moving swiftly across the top. Aerith went next, with Naruto right behind her, ready to act in case she lost balance. As the last one, Naruto spun around and quickly sliced the wooden beam into several pieces to keep Shinra from trying to follow them.

"Such a flashy exit." Reno turned his attention from where the trio made their escape, to the Shinra troops that were stuck in rubber cement, crying out in embarrassment and shame. "At least he didn't get me with that prank." From the folds of his suit he withdrew a cell phone, which he begun punching numbers into. Without another word, he left the church.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>The trio, having escaped from Shinra's clutches were sitting on the roof of the church. Cloud was inspecting some of the new scuff marks he had received on his pauldron, while Aerith and Naruto peeked down the hole to watch as the Shinra troops began to leave. Well, those that hadn't gotten coated in his special quick drying rubber cement anyways. After a moment, they leaned back, Naruto placing his hands behind his hands slightly behind him and using them to support his upper body. Aerith, after a few seconds, copied his movements, her left hand placed atop his right.<p>

"Damn those people are persistent," Naruto commented as he looked up at the plate. "They haven't tried capturing you in so long I thought they had given up."

Cloud looked up at hearing that comment.

"You mean this isn't the first time they've gone after her?"

Aerith shook her head.

"No."

"They're the Turks," Cloud said.

Aerith and Naruto shared an amused glance. They knew very well who was after her.

"Hmmm..."

Not knowing this, Cloud took their silence as a sign to continue, and spoke again. Down below the distant figures, the Shinra soldiers – embarrassed and naked – ran out of the building with all due haste and disappeared into the distant. Reno emerged from the church at a much more sedate pace, walking along the dirt road and soon traveling out of sight behind a stack of old metal oddities in the distance.

"The Turks are an organization in Shinra. They scout for possible candidates for SOLDIER."

"This violently?" asked Aerith, doing her best to sound surprised. She was quite the actor. Naruto suppressed a snicker. "I thought they were trying to kidnap me."

Cloud shrugged.

"They're also involved in a lot of dirty dealing on the side. Spying, murder... you know."

Aerith looked at Naruto out of the corner of her eyes, a light of amusement in them. She gently squeezed his hand, silently communicating with the blond who smiled back. Getting back into her serious face, she looked at Cloud.

"They look like it."

Cloud turned to look at her. Maybe it was because of the presence of Naruto, but Aerith looked completely unaffected by what had happened. Granted, it could have also because the Shinra troops had been so thoroughly humiliated that it was very difficult to actually be frightened of them. Still, he would have expected her to be at least a little more worried.

"Why are they after you?"

Another look was shared between Naruto and Aerith, even Cloud could see they had some kind of connection to each other. Very few people could communicate their thoughts and feelings with a simple look. Aerith turned back to him, a bright smile on her face. Naruto's eyes held a glint of amusement.

"They must believe I have what it takes to be in SOLDIER."

Naruto snickered silently behind Aerith, earning the blond a light glare and pout. Despite himself, Cloud smiled.

Maybe you do," he admitted. He raised an eyebrow. "You interested in joining?"

She laughed. "I don't know, but I sure don't want to be caught by _those_ people."

"Then we'd better get going," Naruto quipped.

He slid his hand out from under Aerith's, and pushed himself into a standing position. A second later, his hand came out in a practiced maneuver, grasping onto Aerith's when she reached out to him, it was like he had known it would be there. Or she had known he would offer assistance. Either way it was kind of eerie for Cloud, who couldn't help but wonder at just how well the two knew each other. As the whiskered blond helped Aerith up, the ex-SOLDIER with the giant sword attached to his back looked for a way off the Church.

A massive metal plate jutted up out of the large pile of trash next to the church, allowing them a platform to walk on. Cloud looked at it before turning to Aerith and Naruto, the other blond looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. Shaking his head, Cloud decided to take the lead. With an agility bred from his time in SOLDER, he jumped from one piece of junk to another as if stepping from stone to stone over a river. In the distance, the main pillar of Midgar dominated their vision, a towering cylindrical wall of hard grey metal. He was not at all surprised when Naruto caught up to him, easily keeping pace. They both stopped eventually, turning around to watch as Aerith tried to keep up with them.

Aeris huffed and puffed as she carefully chose a path then made a cautious leap to a metal gear nearby. Her pink dress clung to her as she sweated from the efforts. Cloud's eyes flickered from her to Naruto, who was looking at the girl with a certain air of amusement.

Breathing hard, she finally caught up to him.

"Slow... down... Don't... leave... me..."

Naruto's snicker caught their attention. He leaned forward slightly, a teasing smile on his face as he looked into Aerith's eyes.

"I thought you were cut out to be in SOLDIER."

Despite her exhaustion, she gave him a tight smile and punched him lightly in the shoulder.

"Oh... You're terrible!"

Cloud watched as the two stifled their laughter. They were an interesting pair. There was just something about watching the two that struck a chord with him, though he was not sure why.

"Hey Cloud."

Cloud found himself looking over at Aerith. She was looking at him with a small hint of... something Cloud couldn't quite identify, though for some reason he found it familiar.

"Were you ever in SOLDIER?"

"I used to be..." Cloud looked up at the plate, the dull surface was gleaming with several blinking lights. His eyes turned their attention to Naruto, who looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised you knew I was in SOLDIER, considering your friend."

Naruto gave an amused smile at Cloud's pointed look.

"Hate to break it to you, but I was never a member of SOLDIER."

"You... you weren't?" Cloud's face reflected his shock. His eyes were wide, much wider then they had ever been before. And his mouth was gaping as he stared at the blond. "But I thought... your eyes, only members of SOLDIER have those eyes."

"Because of the Mako their infused with, right?" said Naruto, gaining a surprised nod from Cloud. "Well, I've never been infused with Mako energy before. These eyes of mine, they're all natural." They actually weren't, at least, Naruto didn't think so. While his eyes had always been his most startling feature – next to his whiskers – they never had the glow they did now back in the Elemental Nations. Naruto suspected that since Mako was in fact, life energy, his ability to gather natural energy and enter Sennin-mode had likely caused his eyes to change like this. Much like how he now needed materia to use his jutsu, his eyes were a reflection of his abilities back in his homeworld.

At least, that was his theory. It wasn't like he had tried entering Sennin-mode since coming here.

"I... see..."

It was clear that Cloud wasn't quite sure what to make of this declaration. Not that he could be blamed. The glowing eyes of someone infused with Mako energy had always been a SOLDIER trademark. You could always tell if someone was in SOLDIER by whether or not their eyes glowed. That Naruto's eyes were a natural phenomena was likely something neither he, nor anyone else for that matter, would expect. It was also how Naruto had been able to stay below the radar with Shinra for so long, even after he had begun his pranking war against them. They had, for the longest time, suspected that he was a member of SOLDIER. That Naruto had gone into Shinra headquarters and destroyed all relevant data on members of SOLDIER meant they had no way to find out the truth. If they had, he was sure that Hojo would have demanded he be captured for experimentation once they found out the truth.

"We should... probably get going," Cloud said, his voice still sounding somewhat shell shocked.

Naruto nodded. "Right, let's head out."

After an hour or so of foraging through large piles of junk and debris, Naruto, Cloud and Aerith were relieved when a dirt road opened up in front of them.

"Well, that was an adventure," Naruto said as he imaginary dirt off his pants. He smiled for a moment, clearly thinking of something amusing. As his head turned to look at Aerith, he commented on his discovery. "You know, I think this is the first time in several months that they've actually managed to corner us."

"It's also the first time since you've started living with me that they've come to the church," Aerith added idly. She kicked a small can out of the dirt path so someone wouldn't trip on it. Looking over at Naruto, she tilted her head before adding, "I wonder why they've started up again now?"

Beside them, Cloud frowned.

"How many times have they come after Aerith?"

Naruto and Aerith shared a look. She raised an eyebrow and Naruto shrugged.

"I don't know," he said honestly. "I've only known Aerith for a little over a year, and from what she's told me they've been coming after her long before I showed up. I can tell you that I've stopped over twenty-five of their attempts at capturing her since I started living with her. But other then that..." he shrugged, leaving Cloud to finish the thoughts.

"I see," Cloud said. He turned his gaze back to where they were walking as the three of them entered the slums. These slums were unique, distinctly different from the slums of Sector Seven. Instead of ramshackle iron huts, the norm here seemed to be dusty trailer homes. They traveled deeper within. Dozens of people wearing simple, nondescript grey and brown clothing walked throughout the dusty paths. They strode throughout the trailer park, visiting neighbors and exchanging goods. Up above, sky blue light fixtures had been placed on the top of trailers and on the side of many of the mounds, bathing the area in an azure glow.

As Cloud watched, he noticed that Naruto and Aerith seemed to be very well liked by the townspeople. Everyone they ran across would smile and greet the pair, which they would return, making some small talk before moving on. Aerith would laugh and speak with several of the women they ran into. He couldn't here what they were talking about, but after a few moments of conversation, Aerith would gain a light tint to her cheeks, while the other woman would look at Naruto and giggle. Naruto on the other hand, would receive a lot of good-natured ribbing from several of the shop owners. The blond would put up with it, giving a smile, occasionally flushing. Cloud thought he heard Aerith's name mentioned but the voices were drowned out by the cacophony of people.

Eventually, Naruto saddled over to Cloud, waiting until the ex-SOLDIER's attention focused on him before speaking.

"What do you plan on doing now?"

Cloud frowned.

"I need to get back to Sector Seven and let my... comrades know that I'm alive."

He had almost been about to mention AVALANCHE to the blond. Though he was sure Naruto already had his suspicions, the man was surprisingly perceptive and knowing, from what Cloud had seen so far. He didn't want to speak about the group openly. Something Naruto seemed to understand.

"Sector Seven isn't too far from here, actually. Though getting there can be a pain."

He looked Cloud up and down, noting the tears, cuts, scrapes and bruises that still littered the ex-SOLDIER. While his healing jutsu had mended the major issues, it was clear to him that Cloud was still suffering some injuries, and likely fatigue.

"I would suggest you wait until tomorrow. Aerith will probably invite you to her house anyways, you can rest up there before continuing onto Sector Seven."

It was a sound plan, and Cloud couldn't find any reason to disagree. He nodded his head and a few moments later, Aerith came over to them. Like Naruto had suspected, she had invited the ex-SOLDIER over to her house. He accepted, and the three of them began walking again.

Soon they passed to the other side of the slums, a golden glow shining from a tunnel nearby. Aerith grinned at Naruto as she grabbed his hand and began pulling him along behind her. Cloud's fellow blond stumbled for a moment, grumbling about pushy girls which earned him a light-hearted glare from said girl. He, however, ignored the look and caught Cloud's eye, giving an exaggerated wink that Cloud managed to figure out and returned with an eye roll. Before too long they walked out of the tunnel. Cloud was unprepared for the sight that awaited them.

The tunnel opened up into an area stunning in its unexpected beauty. Flowers, stone, and water overwhelmed his senses, a sight of natural beauty he had never expected to see in the slums, or Midgar in general for that matter. A small cottage stood to one side, the roof's tiles painted red with loving care. Beyond it was an extensive garden, a multifaceted canvas of dappled color, and beyond that on a bluff overlooking the area, where a large, beautiful tree stood, some of it's roots coming out of the cliff wall in a tangled web.

Cloud stood in place, astonished. It had been so long since he had seen such a display of pure serenity, a scene that he had never expected to see in Midgar. A poignant fragrance arose from the area, its smell kindling a remembrance of spring and the fresh blooming of new flowers.

Naruto and Aerith looked back when they noticed their companion had stopped following them. When they saw his face, the pair traded amused looks. Cloud began walking forward again. Impossibly, he could see a small and delicate waterfall behind the house, gently churning away as it recycled water from a small reservoir above. As he walked closer to it, he could see that it created a tiny river that trailed around flower beds. He knelt down to run his hand through the water. The cool blue liquid flowed across his fingertips, lapping quietly across his fingers.

"It is a beautiful place, isn't it?"

Cloud gazed behind him. Aerith and Naruto were standing there, the blond was behind Aerith, hugging her as she leaned against him, his head resting on her shoulder. They looked so comfortable with each other, like a loving couple. Cloud found himself envying Naruto a little, and felt a small flash of jealousy. He shook the thought off, however, as he was not even sure why he should be jealous in the first place. After a moment, he refocused his attention, nodding his head at Aerith's question.

"How is this possible? Most of Midgar is an urban wasteland. And yet... here this is."

He tasted the water on his fingertips. It was astonishingly clean. Aerith smiled as she took her gaze away from Cloud and looked at the man behind her with a warm smile.

"Well, while this place has never had any trouble retaining it's natural beauty, much of what you see here you can thank Naruto for."

Cloud stopped his inspection of the area of resplendent beauty to look at Naruto. The whiskered blond looked mildly embarrassed, scratching his head with a large grin on his face. It was so wide that his whisker marks stretched across his face, his eyes were forced closed. He looked like a fox.

"This place actually didn't need much work," Naruto tried to downplay his actions. "All I did was add a few more flowers to the garden and grow the tree."

Cloud looked over at the tree, nearly forty feet tall with hundreds of branches. The leafs were large and multicolored, as if to simulate the fall. The bark was a healthy, dark brown color. There was no moss on it, clear evidence that it was being well cared for. Who knew how many decades it took to grow a tree like that. He looked back at Naruto and raised an eyebrow.

"But you've only been here for a year."

The mysterious smile Naruto gave Cloud was slightly annoying.

"I have something of a green thumb."

There had to be more to it then that, Cloud was certain. He didn't question the other blond, however, everyone had secrets they wanted to keep. Gaia knew Cloud did. So he decided not to pry.

Hand in hand, Naruto and Aerith led Cloud to the stately doorway of the cortege. Its mahogany surface was stylized with vibrantly carved swirls and arcs. It gave off an earthy smell of freshly cut wood. Naruto opened the door without even bothering to knock, holding it open for Aerith who walked right in. Naruto then followed, but held the door open until Cloud could walk in as well before closing it.

"Mom, I'm home!"

The interior of the cottage had the comforting appearance of careful rustic care. Worn red cobblestones adorned the floor with a large, circular oak table dominating the center of the main room. The room itself was a large circle, mirroring the cottage's exterior curvature. Atop the table was a jade crystalline vase, filled with luminous white flowers and sparkling blue water. It sat upon a decorated opal tablecloth, swirling designs weaved upon it by a skilled hand. All around the room, wooden shelves were spread throughout, covered with old books and hand-blown glassware. In the back, a small staircase wound around the side of the wall to the upper floor.

Elmyra walked out from the kitchen, a smile lighting her face. She stopped mid-step, however, when she noticed their state of dress. "Oh my! Aerith, Naruto, you two are so... dirty." She looked at them with concern, hurrying over she began to fuss over them like a mother hen. "What happened? Why are two so covered in grime and sweat?"

"Exercise?" said Naruto, making it sound more like a question then a statement. He shrunk back when Elmyra fixed him with that motherly 'don't try and play off that excuse' look. "We ran into a bit of... trouble."

"I should have known," Elmyra looked concerned as she gazed at Aerith. "They were after you again, weren't they?"

Aerith and Naruto glanced at each other, Naruto smiling while Aerith rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, they were. But it's not like it hasn't happened before."

That didn't seem to ease the woman's worries. If anything, she looked more concerned. "How many times have they come after you?"

"Within the last year... twenty-five," answered Naruto.

Elmyra placed her hands on her hips and fixed the sheepish looking pair with a motherly glare.

"And why wasn't I informed of this?"

"I didn't think it would be a good idea to worry you," Naruto was the one who answered, taking the blame onto his shoulders. When she turned to him he gulped slightly. Damn, woman were scary, and mother's were worse. "It's not like they usually got close enough to even see Aerith. Normally, I would deal with them long before they get within several meters of her."

Elmyra's response was to raise a single eyebrow.

"They came to the church this time, something they haven't done before," Naruto replied in answer to her unspoken question. "Add onto the fact that we were sort of distracted by Cloud over here falling through the ceiling and well..." Naruto shrugged helplessly. It was at the mention of Cloud that Elmyra turned her attention to him. With this woman's gaze now on him, Cloud stiffened to attention as if he were back in SOLDIER. Elmyra gazed at him, then at Naruto, before her eyes moved back to Cloud.

"Is this your long lost brother, Naruto?"

Aerith barely managed to stifle a giggle with her mouth as Naruto began pouting. Cloud just rolled his eyes. It was already obvious that this kind of question was going to become commonplace.

"Mou, just because he has blond hair and blue eyes doesn't mean were related, you know?" Sure they looked a lot alike. Hell, the only real differences between them were the slight variation in spiky hair patterns, a small difference in skin tone – Cloud's was a shade lighter than the shinobi's tanned skin – and Naruto's whiskers. But still, was everyone going to assume they were related?

It was with these thoughts in mind that Naruto crossed his arms in front of him and gave Elmyra a mild pout. She just raised an eyebrow before shrugging. She was obviously used to his slightly childish and petulant nature.

"Yes, but he has spiky blond hair like yours, and glowing blue eyes... like yours."

"I'll have you know that my eyes are unique," Naruto said, turning his head away from the woman. Elmyra shook her head, exasperated. Standing next to Naruto, Aerith didn't bother holding in her giggle, which earned her a mock glare from Naruto. Cloud just took the scene in with a small shake of his head. How could someone possessing such talent in combat be such a goof off?

Deciding to let Naruto have his moment, Elmyra turned her attention back to Cloud.

"In any event, I suspect my daughter offered you a place to stay here. Unfortunately, we don't have any spare rooms..."

"He can sleep in my room," Naruto said. Everyone turned to him, even Aerith looked a tad surprised. "I'll just sleep on the couch down here."

Elmyra frowned.

"Are you sure?"

"Don't worry about me," Naruto said with a small chuckle. "I've slept in much worse conditions. And the couch is surprisingly comfortable."

Cloud shifted, slightly uncomfortable.

"I don't want to be a bother."

Naruto rolled his eyes. Turning his head he fixed Cloud with a bored gaze.

"That has to be the corniest line I've ever heard. Seriously, why is it that all people say that when being offered a place to stay for the night?" It was like good guy mantra number three in a manga. The hero never accepts the offer of bed and rest right off the bat. It takes time and arguing to convince the hero that it would be a good idea to stay.

Or the stern glare of a beautiful woman. That never failed to convince the hero that it would be better for them to stay. Safer too.

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Or something like that.

"Erm..."

Naruto snickered a little at Cloud's loss of words. He seemed he wasn't quite sure what to say to the whiskered blond's statement.

"If your worried about the sheets being used, don't be. I washed them this morning."

"That wasn't it..." Cloud looked distinctly uncomfortable. Everyone was looking at him with varying expressions. Naruto was staring at him in amusement, clearly the not SOLDIER found something funny in his plight. Aerith on the other hand was looking exasperated, though whether that was due to Naruto's antics of Cloud's reluctance was anyone's guess. It was probably a mixture of both. And Elmyra was just waiting where she stood patiently, that motherly air hanging about her like a veil. After a few moments of this, Cloud sighed. "It's nothing..."

"In that case I should make sure Naruto didn't forget to replace the bedsheets this morning."

Once again, Naruto gave the woman a pout.

"That was one time, and I'll have you know that I had planned on changing the bedsheets right after I finished my training."

Elmyra just smiled as she took her apron off. She tucked it snugly between her arms and began walking upstairs. When she couldn't hear her mother's footsteps anymore, Aerith turned to Cloud and gave him a curious look.

"So. What are you going to do now?"

Cloud shrugged, running a hand through his spiky golden hair. Aerith moved to sit down in a chair, while Naruto went into the kitchen. He grabbed three beautifully enameled glasses, filled them with water from the tap and walked over to the table. He set a cup down in front of Aerith, getting a beautiful smile from the girl, then walked over to Cloud and held out the second cup. The ex-SOLDIER took it gratefully, taking a long sip of the surprisingly refreshing and cool water. As Naruto sat down next to Aerith, Cloud sighed, before turning his attention to the pair in front of them.

"Is Sector 7 far from here? I need to go to Tifa's bar."

At hearing the name Tifa, Aerith once again turned her attention to Naruto. Setting her glass down on the table she crossed her arms under her chest and sent the whiskered blond _the_ look. It was a look that all men know, that 'if you don't tell me what I want to know right now you're getting the frying pan treatment'. Naruto had to wonder just when the brunette found the time to master it.

"That's right. In the confusion I totally forgot about that. Who is Tifa?"

"Urk..."

Naruto had been hoping she had forgotten about that in the confusion of recent events. He really should have known better. When Aerith wanted something, whether it was a task she wanted to accomplish or get information out of him, she never forgot and never gave up. Thankfully, during their walk back home, Naruto had been given ample opportunity to think about how he should answer her question.

"Tifa's a girl who works at a bar in the Sector Seven Slums called Seventh Heaven." Seeing Aerith's look Naruto continued. "I've been there occasionally, whenever I needed a new supply of kunai and shuriken I would go to the blacksmith there, he's from Wutai and the only ones who knows how to make them. I simply found the bar when I was on my way back home, stopped in for a drink and just sort of took a liking to the place."

Aerith frowned as she scrutinized his face.

"Because of Tifa?"

"No," Naruto answered truthfully. "Tifa's a nice girl but we don't have any kind of relationship. But it's the only place that serves good drinks and isn't a complete dump." Sector Five didn't have a bar of any kind, and the nearest one was at the Wall Market, and it was a complete dive. Naruto wouldn't go there unless he absolutely needed to in order to gather information or some such. It simply wasn't a place you walked into willingly.

Aerith stared at him for a few more seconds, searching. Naruto looked right at her, trying to hide how much he was sweating under her gaze. After a while she seemed to find whatever it was she was looking for, because she smiled at him, which subsequently got him to smile as well – and stop sweating like a pig – and then turned to Cloud.

"So this... Tifa. Is she your girlfriend?"

Cloud nearly choked on his water.

"W-What?"

Naruto laughed silently as the ex-SOLDIERs face turned slightly red. He was clearly out of his element. Aerith gave him an innocent smile, as if she didn't know how embarrassed he was by her question.

"You know, your girlfriend?"

Cloud took a moment to recompose himself. No one had ever asked him something like that, and he hadn't actually dated anyone before. He managed to get his blush under control, then looked over his shoulder for a moment, considering the question before turning back and shaking his head.

"No," he decided after a moment. "She's just a friend."

"A childhood friend," Naruto added with a smile. When both Aerith and Cloud turned to him the whiskered blond shrugged. "She mistook me for Cloud the first time I came in." The words brought the expected response, Aerith giggled while Cloud rolled his eyes. With a smile on his face and a glint in his eyes, Naruto said, "anyways, we talked whenever I came in. She told me quite a bit about her childhood friend, Cloud, who left Nibelheim to become a member of SOLDIER."

His piercing gaze looked at Cloud as he spoke.

"She really missed you, you know? When she realized I wasn't you she got really depressed."

Cloud winced. Looking away with a shamed face. An awkward silence filled the air. Aerith gave Naruto a minor look of reproach, making him sigh as he realized he probably shouldn't have said that. It had definitely been out of line. But Cloud did have the right to know, as far as he was concerned, that way he could make amends.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air for a moment, the two blond's each entering their own thoughts. Aerith would be the one to eventually break the silence.

"So, Sector 7? I know the way. I can show you tomorrow."

That brought Cloud's mind to a halt. His head snapped up so quickly it looked like it would break. Naruto was surprised he hadn't heard it at least crack. The ex-SOLDIER stared at the brunette for several seconds in shocked silence before speaking. "Are you serious?" he asked incredulously. "Why would you put yourself in more danger like that?"

Aerith shrugged.

"I'm used to it."

"You can't be serious."

Aerith ignored him when she saw her mother come downstairs.

"Mom, tomorrow Naruto and I are going to take Clod to Sector 7." It was said in a statement, not a question. As far as Aerith was concerned it was going to happen no matter what anyone else said about it. The girl was stubborn like that.

Elmyra came to stand in front of the girl, looking at Aeris as she waited defiantly for her mother to try and challenge her decision. Naruto crossed his arms and sighed. While he admired the girl for her determination and unwillingness to give in when she wanted something, there were so many better ways she could have told her mother that.

"I suppose I should have seen this coming. At the very least your not heading out so soon after your..." She trailed off, not wanting to mention her daughters run in with the Turks. Shaking her head, she continued. "Why don't you go and get washed up. I'll have dinner ready soon and I don't want you or Naruto sitting at the table when your all covered in dirt and grime."

"Yes mother," Aerith said, barely managing to not roll her eyes.

Elmyra turned to look at Naruto.

"You too, Naruto. You know how I feel about dirt in the house."

"Right."

Naruto knew that all too well. He still had a lump on his head from the one time he had come in after expanding the garden. He had made to sit down on the couch, but when Elmyra caught him she had smacked him across the back of the head and demanded he take a shower before sitting on any of the furniture. He shook his head, dispelling the memories. A hand took his and he looked up to see Aerith smiling at him.

"Come on, you can put your clothes in the washer while I take my shower."

As Aerith pulled Naruto up the stairs, Cloud watched them go, and Elmyra watched Cloud.

"That glow in your eyes... You are from SOLDIER, aren't you?"

Cloud brought his gaze back down as the two disappeared up the stares. Looking at Elmyra for a moment, he contemplated her words, before nodding. "Seems like that is common knowledge these days."

She nodded slightly and turned away. She took Aeris' glass from the table and put it away. She spoke with her back to him.

"I... don't know how to say this, but... could you please leave here tonight, without telling Aeris? I think we both want her to stay safe."

She stood over in the kitchen by the sink, standing very still as she looked at the wall. Cloud thought about it and then nodded, agreeing. Elmyra turned, her face flooded with relief.

"Thank you."

She walked over to him and patted him gently on the cheek with understanding. Cloud stared into her eyes, seeing strength within them. Elmyra was not a weak woman. She continued, her voice confident and thankful.

"What about Naruto?"

Elmyra tilted her head at the question, then shook it. "Naruto can take care of himself. I know little about the man save for the few things he's told me, but I do know that he is at least half the reason the Turks have been unsuccessful in kidnapping my daughter."

So even though Naruto had lived with them for a year, the two still knew very little about him. Or was it just Elmyra who knew very little about him? Cloud had seen the way Aerith and Naruto acted around each other. He doubted the whiskered warrior would keep any secrets from that girl, the man probably couldn't even if he tried. Still, this was a very intriguing bit of information, one that Cloud would keep in mind when dealing with the other blond.

It seemed that there was more of a mystery behind Naruto than he had thought.

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><p><strong>Another chapter. This is where the two stories now converge. Naruto will soon be meeting up with Tifa and the rest of AVALANCHE at some point in the near future. You want to see what happens, just read my next chapter when it comes out.<strong>

**Pokemaster12, laters.**


	11. A3 C11: Women are Troublesome

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 3: Trouble Arises**

**Chapter 11: All the Women in my Life are Troublesome**

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><p><em>His mother stood in the corner, her hands over the oven, flipping a pancake in the air as she hummed under her breath. Wrinkles curled around her eyes, her smile dimpling her cheeks. She looked so happy. Her glossy golden hair shone like the sun from the window's light nearby. With one arm she reached for a plate from the cupboard above her, deftly launching the pancake onto it as she brought it near. She gave a short laugh as she did, exulting in her success. She turned to walk over to him. Her bare feet patted comfortably away, traveling from the cool black and white tiles in the kitchen and striding on to the warm wooden floor of the Cloud's room. It had been so long since she had seen him.<em>

_Cloud lay on the bed, one arm on his chest as he leaned back, staring up at the ceiling. He traced with his mind familiar grooves and bumps upon it, counting the marks and flourishes. He shaped them with his mind into faces and animals, as he used to do when he was a child. His mother sat the plate down on the bed beside him, and he turned his head to see it. The creamy golden pancake lay upon the dish, steaming hot. He took it all in, and then looked away. His mom stood up and moved away. She went back to the kitchen, choosing to busy herself with cleaning dishes back in the kitchen as she talked, a whirlwind of love and chatter since his return._

_"My, you have grown!"_

_He nodded._

_"I'll bet the girls never leave you alone."_

_He stared up at the ceiling._

_"... Not really."_

_His mother wiped her hands on the apron and then took it off, placing it on the granite counter. She began pacing about, dusting a lamp here with one hand, wiping a smudge clear on the window with another. Without even looking, Cloud could tell that she was worrying herself about something. After years without seeing her, he wasn't at all surprised._

_She turned to face him. Though he saw, he did not truly see. For he was laid out on the bed, off in his own world within the cracks in the ceiling._

_"... I'm worried about you."_

_She walked to the bed, running a hand gently through his blonde hair as she spoke._

_"There are a lot of temptations in the city. I'd feel better if you just settled down here and had a nice girlfriend."_

_"... I'm all right."_

_She put her palm upon his head, as if checking for temperature. Her weathered skin was warm against his forehead. She continued, as if he hadn't said a word._

_"You should have an older girlfriend, one that will take care of you. I think that would be the perfect type for you."_

_Cloud sighed inwardly. He could take care of himself. He was better off alone. He vanished into the world of his creation._

_"I'm not interested."_

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Naruto lay on the couch, his body stretched out across it's surface. His feet were propped up on the arm on the opposite side of his head, one foot crossed over the other. His arms were crossed over his chest, his Ōkatana laid out and resting against his shoulder. He was wearing something different then he usually would during the night, a pair of sturdy black cargo pants, a red t-shirt that hugged his frame with one long sleeve covering his left arm while his right was sleeveless, and a pair of black gloves, one fingerless while the other not only covered his fingers entirely, but also stopped halfway up his forearm. Laying on the floor beside him were a pair of sturdy black combat boots with red lining the top and red flames running along the bottom. He looked ready to move at any moment.<p>

His eyes were closed, breathing relaxed, as if in a state of perfect peace and relaxation. Only someone with the keenest of observational skills would detect the small nuances that would tell someone that Naruto was, in fact, awake. The slight tension in his arms, the way his muscles flexed. His breathing, which while slow was not the type of steady, deep breathing one would find if someone were asleep. Despite looking to the contrary, Naruto was wide awake and alert of everything going on around him.

The sound of quiet, booted feet lightly coming down the steps alerted him that his quarry was leaving. He smiled. The footsteps drew ever closer, moving down the stairs in a slow, measured pace. Silent, for the most part. Considering how heavy those boots were, it was quite an accomplishment. The only reason Naruto could hear it was because he was channeling chakra into his ears and had phenomenally exceptional hearing. The footsteps were now in the dining room, moving across the floor. Still mostly silent.

"Leaving before Aerith can wake up?"

The footsteps stopped. Naruto smiled, even as he kept his eyes closed. He could imagine the other blond freezing at the sound of his voice.

"Naruto?"

"Yep. Me."

Naruto sat up, bringing himself into a sitting position. He opened his eyes and looked over at Cloud. The man really was frozen, and quite surprised if he were to judge by the look in the ex-SOLDIER's eyes. Chuckling a bit, Naruto moved his legs, lifting them off the arm of the chair and moving them around. His feet slid into his boots in a single, smooth motion. Hands came down and tightened the straps that held his feet in. Then he stood up and walked over to Cloud.

"You heading to Sector 7?"

Cloud nodded, not speaking for some reason. Perhaps because he had lost his voice. Naruto found the thought incredibly amusing.

"Alright then, let's go."

Cloud brought himself out of his stupor. Shaking his head before giving Naruto a serious gaze.

"What about Aerith?"

Naruto shrugged.

"What about her? Your leaving this early because you don't want her to get involved with whatever trouble your in right? You want her to be safe?"

Cloud nodded, and Naruto smiled.

"Well, I want that too. However, I can't in good conscious just let you go off on your own, even if you were a member of SOLDIER."

It took a moment before Cloud could respond. He spent several seconds studying the man before him. There was a lot more to this guy then killer combat skills and a pranksters personality. After giving Naruto some consideration he nodded.

"Alright. But aren't you worried about Aerith?"

"Between the two of us it shouldn't take us that long to reach Sector 7. An hour or two at the most. I should be able to get you there and be back here before she even wakes up."

Cloud gave a nod. It was clear Naruto had already thought about all of this before hand. The two slowly made their way outside, Naruto was careful not to let the door close too loudly. The journey through the slums was mostly silent, only the dull thud of their footsteps echoing across the landscape marked their passing. There was no talking between the two, neither really needed to talk. As two warriors with similar backgrounds – as far as being warriors went – their was an understanding between the two that silence was the word of the day right now. If they needed to talk, they could do so once they reached their destination.

As he and Naruto walked through the sector, Cloud noticed that he was not the only one up at this late hour. In the middle of the trailer park, a number of men in rusty gray clothing sat in flimsy green plastic chairs, sitting around a small television. Its black and white light danced unsteadily across their faces. They talked amongst each other as they watched. When Cloud came closer, he overheard their discussion. They argued amongst themselves as an anchor from the Shinra news station chattered on the flickering screen. Cloud stopped for a moment to watch, hidden in the shadows of a trailer nearby. The prudishly dressed anchorman spoke in a mellifluous voice, attempting to charm viewers with senses visual and audible.

"... _Following the lead of President Shinra, Mayor Domino has spoken out in public against the depredations of the eco-terrorist group known as AVALANCHE._.."

At that, many of the men leaned forward, yelling at the TV. Their weathered and wrinkled features twisted into anger. Nearby, a man's voice shouted from a trailer for them to shut the hell up. They ignored the man, and continued to argue. The most vocal of them stood waving his arms above the rest, gathering attention. His voice rung out like a trumpet.

"Everything Shinra says is a lie!"

One of the other men pointed an accusatory finger in the loud one's face.

"But you can't back the actions of terrorists, no matter their color! It isn't right!"

In the back, Cloud noticed a quiet man that stood on the outskirts of the discussion. Now he came forward to respond to the statements and give his own opinion. As he moved to stand next to the TV, he waved a hand at the others, trying to get their attention.

"In the end, this all comes down to all of us wanting to be like those who live on the plate!"

The group fell silent, looking over at the man who had just spoken. He continued in a calm voice.

"So we have to hold ourselves strong. We have to rely only on ourselves. We have to rely on our own strength. Because who else do we have to believe in but ourselves? Shinra lies to us, promising renewal but giving us nothing. Yet they don't murder us or destroy the homes that we make. One can't say the same for AVALANCHE. The Mako Reactor bombings have drained our electricity, killing those nearby and ruining their homes. They say they do it to save the Planet, but how is that done by razing our livelihoods? So who do we trust?"

The others looked amongst themselves. Some argued, others nodded with agreement. But all of them paid close attention as the man continued.

"The only person you can trust is yourself. Self reliance is the only way to remain true to yourself in a world dominated by Shinra's corrupt priorities and the terrorism of AVALANCHE."

A hand was placed on his shoulder, startling the ex-SOLDIER out of his curiosity. He turned to see Naruto looking at him with a raised eyebrow. The whiskered blond tilted his head to the side, indicating that they should keep moving. Cloud nodded, and the two were soon walking off and away from the rest of the conversation that grew softer the further away they went.

They moved silently through the streets, deftly stepping around piles of trash and detritus. Soon enough, they were beyond the gates that led into the slums of Sector Five.

"You're with AVALANCHE, aren't you?"

Cloud turned to Naruto. The whisker marked man was looking at him with slightly calculating eyes. He turned away, frowning.

"How did you guess?"

Naruto chuckled.

"I have my ways."

There was a pause, Naruto's expression went from a smile to a frown. He looked off into the distance. The lights were turned off so everything was pretty dark. Not that darkness made much of a difference in his vision. Unless the darkness was absolute, Naruto's enhanced eyesight could see as if it were daytime. His eyes regained their focus and he turned back to Cloud.

"Yesterday another Mako Reactor was blown up. The one right above Sector 5. In fact, if you were to take a map of the Slums and a map of the upper plate, you would see that the Church you crash landed in is directly above a small bridge leading into the reactor."

Cloud nodded his head. He could see where this was going.

"And because I crashed in you came to the obvious conclusion that I was with AVALANCHE."

"Well," Naruto shrugged, a sly smile playing on his face again. "You could have been in SOLDIER. Hell, you were in SOLDIER. However, if you had still been a member you would have reacted with more then just simple recognition when you saw Aerith. While they haven't sent any members of SOLDER after her yet, probably because they're a branch of the military used purely for combat situations, I doubt that someone who was still working for Shinra in that capacity wouldn't at least know _of_ Aerith."

It was a solid deduction. A use of standard observations of human responses, incredible observation and reading between the lines. Cloud found himself silently admiring the other blond. His respect for him had gone up a few notches. He didn't say anything, however, merely nodding as they continued on their way, once more in silence. With Naruto leading the way, as Cloud had no clue how to get to Sector Seven, they made good time and eventually found their way to the place that would lead them to Sector Seven. It was a large wall, spanning quite a few kilometers, likely to block off this sector from the next one. Spattering of graffiti covered the wall, artistic words and symbols made by people to show that they had been there. The place Naruto was leading him to was the large hole located in the center between several large mounds of rubble and debris. As they got closer, both saw that there was a surprise waiting there as well.

Aerith was standing in the center of the hole, just a few feet in front of the two. Her hips were slightly tilted to the left, with her left hand on her thigh and her right one holding onto a beautiful crafted silver stave. Her left foot was tapping against the ground impatiently, as if she were waiting for someone. She wasn't looking at them yet, her eyes gazing up towards something above her and too the right. Cloud's gaze found itself focused on the weapon in her hand.

The entire weapon was around five feet in length. It was a well balanced weapon, the first six inches or so of the upper and lower tips was about six centimeters thicker all around then the rest. Likely it was designed that way so Aerith would have a nice balanced weapon that she could twirl around without losing her balance, while also allowing for more blunt damage to be dealt. In the center of the staff was a leather grip with shallow grooves that could be used as handholds. There were three in total, one in the center, and two on each side closer to the edge. Running along the entire length of the stave were intricately carved designs of, oddly enough, foxes. Nine tailed foxes all in various poses ran across the weapon, some were sitting on their haunches, mouths open in wide yawns that showed razor sharp teeth. Others were running, or laying down and still some looked like they were prepared for a fight. Despite it's incredible artistry and beauty, Cloud could tell it was well made and made to _used_.

His eyes went back to Aerith who gave him a bright smile, and suddenly he seemed to realize that she was here and not at home where he was supposed to have left her.

"Your up bright and early."

Cloud worked his mouth for several seconds, at a loss for words. He opened his mouth, shook his head, closed it, then shook his head again. Finally, as his mind wrapped around the fact that Aerith had been waiting for him, he spoke.

"How could I ask you to come along when I knew it would be dangerous?"

Aerith ignored him.

"Are you done?"

Cloud grimaced, belatedly running a hand through his hair. There really was no winning with this girl.

"You have to go through the slum in Sector 6 to get to Tifa's 7th Heaven," Aerith informed him.

"It shouldn't take us to long to get there," Naruto added as he walked over to Aerith's side. He looked at the weapon before bringing his gaze to her's. Cloud found his gaze turning to focus on the other blond warrior with narrowed eyes. "How does it feel?"

"It's still a little awkward," Aerith admitted as she brought the stave up and held it in both hands, parallel to the ground. "I'm not used to holding weapons very often, especially ones that are so... expensive."

Naruto nodded at her comment, but smiled nonetheless.

"Still, this is much better then the one you had before. It actually allows you to hold materia as well."

At the word materia, Aerith turned the staff over, rotating it to show two small holes that had been burrowed on each side of her staff. They currently held materia.

"Which ones do you have in there?"

"The cure materia and the fire one."

Naruto nodded. The monsters on the other side were weak against fire, and Aerith had a natural talent as a healer. It was too bad she couldn't use his materia. He was sure she would be able to better utilize his healing jutsu then he ever could.

"It looks like you've been taking my instructions to heart."

Aerith's beautiful smile made the slums a little brighter. She then tilted her head, absently tapping against her temple with her index and forefinger.

"You've kind of made it a point of beating that information into my head." Naruto just gave the girl a smile.

As Naruto and Aerith's spoke, Cloud came to a startling realization.

"You knew she would be waiting for us," he accused of Naruto, who turned around and looked at him with a slightly tilted head and a smile.

"She left fifteen minutes before you did."

Cloud frowned, a severe expression on his face.

"Then what was all that talk about wanting to keep her out of danger?"

A chuckled escaped Naruto's throat at this man's naivety. It seemed that for all this man's prowess on the battlefield and experience in SOLDIER, he had next to know experience when it came to women. It was just another startling difference between him and Cloud.

"Cloud," he started, shaking his head, his smile still in place. "If there is one thing I've learned when it comes to dealing with Aerith, it's that you will never win. When she wants something, or decides she's going to do something, like say: helping Cloud get to Sector 7. You can be sure that she's going to do it, whether you want her to or not, and you can either go with the flow and accept that fact. Or fight it while she simply drags you along."

He looked over at Aerith, who had something of a smirk on her face. It looked slightly out of place, considering she simply couldn't look smug. Naruto thought she just looked incredibly cute. Looking back at Cloud he gave the other man a chuckle.

"I don't know about you, but I know which of those options I'd choose."

Cloud sighed. This entire fiasco had clearly been planned out, and he had fallen right into the pairs trap. Seeing as he was still standing there, Aerith decided that it would be up to her to get them moving.

"You want to get to Sector 7 quickly, right? Come on."

Naruto and Aerith turned and walked through the entrance to Sector six side by side. Cloud watched them go, shaking his head for a moment before he too walked through the large hole that marked the entrance to Sector six.

Unlike Sectors five and seven, Sector Six did not possess any people. It was not a very habitable place. The earth was much too broken up to build proper houses, large chunks of road were elevated in several areas, accessible only by the ramps that were made out of wood and random pieces of debris. The two objects that stood out the most was a large metal hand that was on lying on it's back on an upraised platform, it's fingers curled slightly and pointed towards the sky, or the plate as there was no sky in the slums. Several meters away, just barely visible over the raised pieces of broken road lay a yellow crane. Rusted and worn down with age and misuse, only it's top half was visible to the group, along with the crane itself, raised diagonally.

They moved through the sector, coming up along the first ramp. On the top of the ramp they ran into their first problem. A single monster was in front of them. A small, round creature with purple spikes on it's back, standing on two stubby legs with three toes and had a pair of stubby arms with three slightly clawed fingers. It's teeth were, for the most part, flat, except for two large incisors that jutted out from it's upper lip. It had pure green eyes that covered both the iris and sclera, and were set in a eyebrowless ridge. A Hedgehog Pie, if Naruto remembered the name correctly.

He did not know exactly how monsters came into being. Where he was from, the closest thing to a monster were the Bijuu, and they were not monsters by any means. But rather, large, intelligent masses of concentrated chakra. His theory was that monsters were either created from distortions to the lifestream, possibly caused by Shinra's Mako Reactors. Or were deliberately created by Shinra Company, though for what reasons Naruto couldn't fathom. Either way they would have to deal with this monster if they wanted to get passed.

"Aerith," he called, getting her to look from the Hedgehog to him. "Why don't you take this one."

Aerith suddenly looked uncertain. She looked over at the monster as it walked. It hadn't noticed them yet, but the moment they stepped into it's territory they would. She looked back at Naruto and saw that he was giving her a confident smile.

"You can do this."

Taking a deep breath, Aerith gathered her courage. She nodded.

"Ok."

As Aerith stepped into the creatures general sphere of influence it turned to her, letting out a strange hissing gurgle. It honestly didn't sound particularly dangerous, but she knew that it could be if she let it's first attack hit her.

"Are you sure it's alright to let her face that alone?" asked Cloud as he watched Aerith move up to the beast. She didn't look too confident, not that he could blame her, as it had been clear from the get go that the pretty brunette was not a fighter. He was honestly surprised that Naruto was allowing this.

"Yes," Naruto said plaintively. He too was watching the soon to be battle with a critical eye. "She should be fine with both of us here. If it because too much for her to handle, we can easily step in before she gets hurt." It was easy to see that he meant what he said, while his left hand was holding onto the sheathed Ōkatana, his right hand was lightly resting on the handle, ready to be drawn at a moments notice.

Cloud didn't respond as Naruto looked over at the battle. He crossed his arms and watched as the battle began to unfold. The Hedgehog ran towards Aerith, it's body moving in a surprisingly quick waddle. As it hissed and gurgled, it's clawed hands were making grasping motions, as if it was anticipating the bloodbath to come. Aerith began twirling the stave in her hand, rotating it around her body in front of her. She stopped with the stave running parallel to the ground, feet spread apart as she presented her profile towards the creature as it drew ever closer. One hand was holding the stave in the center groove, the other was on the back, her palm pressing against the thickened her, fingers curled around it. When the creature was so close it moved to lunge at her, Aerith thrust the stave forward. There was a sickening crunch as the stave met the Hedgehog's face. A spray of blood and broken teeth followed as the monster was sent tumbling to the ground, rolling for several feet before coming to a stop.

"During the evenings I've been teaching Aerith how to use staves. Every night for the passed year I would give her small lessons on how to properly use them."

Cloud turned at the sound of Naruto's voice, the tone was much softer then before. There was a serious expression on Naruto's face. He didn't turn from the battle as he spoke.

"Much as I may hate to admit it, there may come a time when I won't be there to protect her. If that moment ever comes, I want Aerith to be capable of defending herself. Just in case."

Cloud could see the logic in that statement. Nor could he find anything truly wrong with that kind of thinking. It was clear that Naruto cared a great deal for Aerith, so much so that he wasn't willing to delude himself into thinking he could always protect her or solve her every problem. This was just another facet of Naruto that told him that his fellow blond was much more then he first suspected.

Aerith had decided to finish the battle while the Hedgehog was still down. Twirling her stave around herself, she brought the long weapon behind her, resting it against her left shoulder before she took off in a run. The Hedgehog was pushing itself into a sitting position, clearly groggy from the blow it had received. It didn't even have time to think on much as Aerith twirled her stave around, grabbing it with both hands as she readied herself to finish it. Fire erupted from the tip as she concentrated. Swinging down she launched a blaze of fire at the same time she struck the Hedgehog in the face.

The red monsters agonizing scream was drown out by a large explosion, a conical burst of orange flame that consumed it. As the blaze died down, going from a raging inferno to a small ember before disappearing with nothing more then smoke and a scorch mark to mark it's passing, they saw that the Hedgehog had not only been killed but disintegrated in the blast. It was a testament to Aerith's abilities with magic. Very few people could make a fire that strong.

Out of breath, Aerith was forced to plant her stave on the ground, using it as for support as she took deep, heavy breaths. A trickle of sweat fell along her brow, slowly trailing down her face before dripping off her chin. As Cloud stood there, stunned by the display Aerith had just given, Naruto walked up to the beautiful young woman. He stopped directly behind her and set a hand on her shoulder. When Aerith turned to look at him, he gave her a proud smile.

"You did really well," he complimented softly, his eyes holding a warmth that he reserved for the woman before him. Though she was tired, Aerith still managed to give him a bright smile.

"Thanks."

Naruto smiled as well, before moving into lecture mode, clearing his throat before looking at her with a semi-serious expression.

"Now, there were a few areas for improvement. Mainly, when you used that fire spell."

He moved closer to her, one arm slid around her waist and gently pulled her up and into him. Aerith didn't resist, letting herself fall against his body and leaning on him for support. Her head came to rest at his shoulders. Naruto took the stave out of her hands, using his strength to embed it into the pavement. Then he gently grabbed one of her hands, earning a pained hiss from Aerith. Turning them over, he showed the brunette the small burn marks on her hand.

"When you used the fire spell, your hands were far to close to the end you launched it from. You have to be careful with fire, as it's just as likely to burn you as it is your enemy. Next time you use fire, do the same thrusting motion you first used against the Hedgehog, or simply swing using the other end of the stave. Ok?"

Aerith nodded tiredly, letting him know that she was listening. When it came to battle Naruto reigned supreme, strange considering he hated killing, and she always knew it would behoove her to listen to his words of wisdom.

"... Ok."

"Your tired," Naruto commented, and Aerith didn't bother to deny it. She was tired, exhausted even. Very few people were actually capable of using materia, the mental strain of using the glowing orbs containing the power of the planet was incredible, and often left most people half dead when used. That Aerith could even use them and not pass out spoke of her mental prowess. "While your magic is powerful, you're not used to using it very often."

"Mmm..."

Naruto shook his head before reaching his right arm around her body so he could pull out the materia he had placed inside of it that morning. Placing it in his pouch he called his healing jutsu materia, and after it melted into his arm, took Aerith's hands and began slowly healing the burns. He watched carefully as the wounds hissed and steamed as they were enveloped in the warm, green glow of the Shousen no Jutsu. The burn marks soon faded, the red skin became healthy pink, then returned to their original pallor. Finished he let the hand he was healing go and did the same to the other one. Once her burns were healed, he drew her arm over his shoulder and then scooped her up in a bridal style carry, one arm under her knees and the other around her shoulder.

"I can walk myself, you know," Aerith said, still tired but clearly not enough to argue. It was almost funny because despite her arguing with him, she still draped her right arm around his shoulder and buried her face in the crook of his neck. It seemed that while she was more than willing to argue with him, she had no issues when it came to him carrying her. She was weird like that.

Naruto chuckled.

"I know you can, but right now you're tired and will only get more so if you walk after using magic. I'll carry you until we reached the playground."

"Hmm..." Aerith hummed softly to herself as she took in his words. Closing her eyes as a smile played on her lips she said, "I think you just like carrying me."

"Or perhaps I just like holding you so close to me," Naruto shot back. Aerith's cheeks turned slightly pink. She didn't comment, letting Naruto know he won this round. He looked over at Cloud, who was still standing in the same spot he had been since the battle and sighed.

"Cloud, you coming?"

Cloud looked over at him before nodding, still amazed by the display of magical prowess from Aerith. Her exhaustion was merely on account of her not using materia very often. Once she began using it more she would become more capable of casting spells without tiring. Like a muscle that gets stronger the more it's worked. If she practiced her spell casting, she could become very powerful.

They continued on, walking up and down several ramps, under a bridge that looked like it had been formed through natural processes, were it not for the fact that the bridge was a road made of concrete and cement. Eventually, Naruto set Aerith down when she had recovered enough to walk on her own, and at her insistence that she was not a child. They ran into no more monsters after their initial encounter with the Hedgehog. Not that this was surprising, monsters were fairly rare, only coming out on occasion when they felt the prey they were after was weak. They were most certainly not weak. The trio continuing moving, up a wooden beam that acted as a ramp, across more roadside pavement and down another ramp before coming upon their destination.

The entrance to the park was signified by a gate, an open space between two concrete square columns. The fence, occasionally hidden under piles of junk that would ascended into the sky like jagged stalagmites, surrounded part of the park. Only the end, where a fork leading to a gate on one end and a path on the other was left bare. There were several intact play sets in the park; a large, round cat with a hole on either side that children could climb under; a slide in the shape of a moogle or some other type of animal; and a swing set.

As Naruto, Cloud and Aerith stopped by the entrance, the female of the group pointed.

"The gate to Sector 7 is over there."

Cloud looked to where she was pointing and saw a very large gate, mostly square in shape, but with a forty-five degree cut out on either side at the top. It's steel looked like it was once silver but had now dulled with rust. It was the kind of gate that split open, rather slid up, the lines in the center that denoted this point moved about in forty-five degree angles that changed direction every so often; sometimes moving vertically down, sometimes diagonally to the left, or the right. The gate was surrounded by yellow and black stripes, like those of a bee.

"Thanks."

Turning his attention from the gate, he looked at the two that had taken him this far, surprising himself when he realized that he would actually miss their company. Despite his personality Naruto had a professionalism that Cloud could appreciate, and Aerith was just such a bright girl that she could light up anyone's life with nothing more than a simple smile. He shook his head and shrugged. Good byes were never his strong point.

"I guess this is goodbye."

"Hmmm..."

Cloud did not like the smile on Aerith's face.

"Naruto, I'm feeling a little tired." She looked at the whiskered blond with large, wide, pleading eyes. "Would you mind if we take a break?"

He knew what she wanted. It was all Naruto could do not to roll his eyes as he said, "I don't see why not?" He looked over at Cloud. "You may as well rest up too, the gates can't be opened without the codes, and you'll have to go into the Wall Market and ask one of the merchants. There the ones with the code."

Cloud scratched his head before sighing.

"I see. I guess there's nothing to it then."

Aerith giggled at his slightly exasperated look. Her amusement did not go unnoticed as he gave her a half-hearted glare, though it melted soon after. Very few people can even_ pretend_ to be angry at Aerith for very long. She just gave him a sweet smile before turning her attention to Naruto and looking at him expectantly.

"Right," Naruto rolled his eyes as he took her hand, his much larger appendage engulfing hers. Together they walked further into the park. They eventually stopped as Aerith looked at the slide, an expression of childish delight on her face.

"I can't believe it's still here!"

She immediately began pulling Naruto towards the back end of the slide. He stumbled for a moment at once more being unexpectedly dragged behind his much smaller companion, turning his head to cast a mild glare at Cloud when his fellow blond actually chuckled at his predicament. The back of the slide had several notches that could be used to climb to the top, which Aerith used. Letting go of his hand she grabbed onto the first notch, then the one above it and began to slowly climb up. She made it to the top, casting her gaze about the area. She still couldn't see over the much larger piles of garbage that surrounded the park, but she still liked viewing what she could see from overhead. She soon sat down, then gestured for Naruto and Cloud to come up.

"Come on you two!"

Naruto and Cloud shared a look. Shaking his head the shinobi of the duo followed Aerith's example and climbed to the top. After a few seconds, Cloud followed. When Naruto reached the top he moved behind Aerith and sat down. His legs spread out on either side of her. His hands pressed against the top of the slide, and he used them to scoot himself closer to her. As if sensing his presence and intentions, Aerith leaned against him, her back falling firmly on his chest. A pair of strong arms slid around her wasp-like waste. Aerith sighed as her own arms moved over Naruto's. A head rested on her shoulder and she allowed herself a smile as she leaned her own head against his.

Cloud sat down beside the pair, feeling a bit like the third wheel as he watched them get comfortable. Seeing the two of them like this, so intimate with each other, brought up a question he had been wondering.

"Are you two going out?"

Both of them froze. It was almost amusing to watch the way their heads turned, slowly, almost mechanically towards him. Their wide eyed, blushing expressions were almost identical. They looked both confused and embarrassed, as if they both understood and didn't understand the question at the same time. Or had not heard it correctly. It actually made Cloud smile.

Just a little.

"W-Why do you want to know?" asked Aerith, and there was a slight stutter in her voice. Whenever someone talked about her and Naruto being, well, more than just friends, Aerith never failed to feel embarrassed. Which was really odd because she could sleep with Naruto just fine and not feel the slightest bit shy or embarrassed. Yet when ever the women of Sector Five mentioned how great a couple they would be, she simply froze up. Her mind conjured images, all of them of things she had never done before but read and heard plenty about. Those thoughts embarrassed her.

Naruto was of like mind, only for the opposite reasons.

Cloud shrugged.

"I was just curious. You two act a lot like I would expect couples to act."

"D-Do you think so?"

The hopeful note in her voice went almost unnoticed by the two men. Cloud was simply oblivious to subtleties like that and Naruto, well, he was trying to keep his own images from moving past the R-rating. It was difficult to remain observative and clinical when you were imagining you and the person who held your affection in a setting that would make Jiraiya weep manly tears of joy.

"Well, yeah," Cloud started, looking at the pair who, despite their embarrassment had not pulled away from each other. If anything, they seemed to be holding onto each other just a little tighter. "You two seem to be really..." here Cloud actually blushed a bit, "affectionate with each other, and stuff, and, well..." here he trailed off. Having never had a girlfriend of his own, and having never really thought about having a girlfriend, this area was very far from his forte of knowledge. A very uncomfortable, very awkward silence soon ensued.

Aerith tried to break it by changing the subject to something else.

"So what rank were you?"

Not very subtle is she?

Cloud blinked, nonplussed by the question the brunette had blurted out.

"Rank?"

"You know, in SOLDIER?"

"Oh, I was..." Cloud frowned in thought, drawing one leg up to his chest he planted his foot on the roof of the slide and rested the elbow of his right hand over it. For some reason it took longer then he thought it would to come up with the answer. It didn't happen right away, but more of a slow dawning before he seemed to remember. When he did, he looked at Naruto and Aerith to say, "First-class."

Naruto felt Aerith stiffen ever so slightly in his arms, a small sense of sadness could be felt in her posture. He knew why, and held her a little closer so she could draw what comfort she could from him. He knew it worked because less then a moment later she relaxed back into his embrace. Her voice also began working.

"Just the same as him."

Cloud looked at her curiously. He had seen the reaction, but did not know the cause. Granted, Cloud did not have much, if any experience with woman in general, and he barely even knew Aerith, having only met her yesterday when he crashed through the roof of the Church. So allowances could be made for him. Still, his curiosity could not be denied and he just had to ask.

"The same as who?"

"My first boyfriend."

Cloud looked over at Naruto, who was not paying any attention to him. Instead, the other blond was making slow rocking motions, like those of a boat as it steadily moved across the gentle waves of the sea. Cloud's eyes moved back to Aerith, whose eyes were closed as her fingers slowly traced circles on Naruto's arms. He didn't know why, and he felt kind of like an ass for asking the question in front of the two, for completely different reasons when it came to the both of them, but he felt the need to ask.

"Were you two... serious?"

Aerith didn't open her eyes as she let Naruto's natural warmth comfort her. She could feel the blond behind her, his natural aura that she liked so much enveloping her like a loving cocoon. While she did not open her eyes, the pretty young woman did shake her head no.

"No. but I had liked him for a while."

Only a few people knew why that was, two of them were here, but neither would talk about it. Naruto out of respect for Aerith, and Aerith because she simply didn't like dwelling on the what if's thinking about _him _would bring. _He _had been important, but he wasn't here now. Someone else was. And Aerith wasn't going to let him go. Even if nothing had truly happened between them yet.

"I probably knew him. What was his name?"

Aerith shook her head again.

"It doesn't really matter."

Cloud frowned. He felt like he was stepping into enemy territory. Truth be told, now that he had asked her he felt kind of bad. Like he was intruding into a private affair, which he more or less was. Her love life had nothing to do with him, even if he was insanely curious for some unknown reason.

Naruto sighed as he felt the slight stiffness in Aerith's posture now. It would be hard for most to notice, Aerith was quite the actress after all. But it was there, and for someone like him who knew the woman in his arms very well, it was incredibly easy to spot.

With the movements of someone who had done this quite a few times, Naruto gently rubbed his cheek against Aerith's. It was a slightly animalistic gesture, and Aerith had once joked that he was part fox due to some of his habits, but Naruto knew she enjoyed the act just as much as he did. And it worked too, for just moments after he made the action, the woman in his arms returned the gesture with one of her own. When she smiled at him in thanks, the former Konoha shinobi found himself rather pleased at being able to help the person who had given him so much since coming to this world.

The sound of rumbling cut of his thoughts. The squeal of metal gears turning brought his attention elsewhere. Naruto, Cloud and Aerith all turned to look over at the gate as it slowly opened, the two iron plates that made up the gate moving apart. The more the gates opened the more it revealed. Yellow was the first thing everyone saw, yellow feathers on a body that was decidedly avian. Two gangly legs with tri-clawed feet holding up an L shaped body with a pair of stubby wings connected on either side. The neck was long, swan-like, and situated atop of it was a feathered face with an orange beak and two large black eyes. A tuft of yellow feathers that almost looked like fur sat on top of it's head. It was easily recognizable by Cloud and Aerith as a Chocobo.

Naruto, who had never seen a Chocobo before now, just wondered what kind of idiot would crossbreed a chicken with an ostrich.

It was then they noticed everything else. The leather straps wrapped around the chocobo's neck and mid section. The muzzle closing around it's beak. Behind avian creature was a red carriage with a purple roof. A driver sat on a small bench in front of and attached to the carriage. He cracked the reigns as soon as the gate finished opening. The Chocobo whinnied slightly, almost like a horse, Naruto thought, and began moving at a slow trot. As the carriage began turning into the path that would lead it to the Wall Market, the trio caught sight of someone standing in the back.

"Hey, Cloud," Naruto commented idly as he looked at the beautiful girl in the purple dress. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't that Tifa?"

"It is..." Cloud murmured, sounding more surprised than Naruto was, before standing up and cupping his hands to his mouth. "Tifa!"

Tifa must have heard him, because her eyes looked over at them for a brief moment before the carriage disappeared around a large pile of garbage. Naruto and Aerith had to take a moment to unwrap themselves from around each other so they could stand up. They dusted themselves and when Aerith finished she looked at Cloud.

"That girl in the cart was Tifa?"

When Cloud nodded she sent Naruto, who sensed her look and turned to face her, a mild glare. He gulped before putting a nervous smile on his face, holding up his hands in an almost defensive gesture. The reason she was glaring at him became quite clear a second later when she spoke.

"That Tifa was quite attractive."

Naruto paled. Yeah, he was screwed. It was one thing to not tell Aerith about where he went off to once every blue moon, it was quite another to find out that the owner of the bar was a very beautiful young woman with very large assets.

"She is," he allowed, gulping a bit when Aerith narrowed her eyes. Ok, so maybe that hadn't been the best thing he could have said. "But just because Tifa is attractive doesn't mean anything is going to between me and her." He paused for a moment, then added. "Besides, I get the feeling she has a crush on someone else." Naruto finished, giving a pointed glance towards Coud, who was ignoring them in favor of watching the spot Tifa had last been seen. After several more seconds of this she sighed, then turned back to Cloud.

"I guess that's true," she said with a smile, and Naruto felt himself sigh in audible relief. Aerith giggled at him, then turned a thoughtful look towards where Tifa had disappeared to. "I wonder where she was going? I couldn't help but notice that she was dressed kind oddly..."

"It certainly isn't her usual outfit," Naruto responded.

"Oh?" Aerith asked, placing her hands on her hips as she turned her gaze back to him. "And how would you know that... how exactly?"

Naruto belatedly realized that he should have just kept his mouth shut. Cursing himself inwardly he quickly tried to talk his way out of sleeping on the metaphorical couch. Thankfully, he was a surprisingly quick thinker when it ass was on the line.

"Whenever I went into 7th Heaven, she was always wore a white shirt and a black skirt with suspenders. I just kind of figured it was her modes operandi."

Naruto looked over at Cloud, a pleading expression on his face. Aerith turned to face Cloud as well. It took a few seconds of wondering why they were staring at him, sweat had actually begun to trickle down his scalp at the intense look Aerith was giving him, but he eventually realized what they wanted. Slowly, he gave a nod.

"It's true, I've never seen Tifa wear anything like that before."

Cloud looked back over to where Tifa had just left, a frown marring his face. There was something going on with Tifa that he did not like, something troubling. A ball of unease was settling in the pit of his stomach as he wondered just what his childhood friend had gotten into.

Aerith seemed to settle down after that. There was a palpable relief in her sigh. She relaxed, her head turned and she locked eyes with Naruto.

"I'm sorry."

She smiled when he raised an eyebrow and an expression of confusion passed across his face. She would have giggled, but that would have ruined the moment. Her hand reached out to take his, giving him a light squeeze as she conveyed her apology through physical contact and her eyes, as well as her words.

"I should have had more faith in you."

Odd words, considering they weren't dating. At least not officially. Despite their outgoing personality both seemed hesitant to take the next step. They were comfortable where they were. What would happen if they went further? What if it didn't work out? Would it ruin their friendship? Neither knew these questions, and though they didn't openly acknowledge them, even to each other, both held the same fear. They wanted to be more, but didn't want to ruin the relationship they did have if things didn't work out.

"It's fine." Naruto shook his head as he squeezed back, returning the gesture. "I can see how this would look. I should have told you when I first went there, but it never really came up in a conversation and I didn't want to just randomly blurt out 'hey! I found a bar in Sector 7 where there's this cute girl who owns a bar!' you know?"

Aerith's expression darkened slightly.

"Cute girl who owns a bar?"

"Urk..." Naruto looked somewhat fearful as he gazed into Aerith's emerald green eyes. He immediately tried to backtrack, or at least defend himself. "Just because she's cute doesn't I'm into her, you know. It's just uh... well, it's true and I don't like lying so..." A giggle interrupted his very poor attempt at keeping himself out of the dog house. His eyes narrowed as he saw Aerith covering her mouth with her hand as she tried to stifle her giggling.

He growled.

"You did that on purpose. You were stringing me along," he accused, an expression of mock hurt on his face. Aerith just gave him an innocent smile.

"You're simply too easy."

Naruto chuckled.

"I think some of my prankster personality is growing on you."

"Or maybe I've just always been like this and you're just seeing it now."

"Cute," Naruto said dryly. "But I think I know you well enough to know that this isn't some new facet of you I've never seen before." Aerith opened her mouth but Naruto began again, wanting to switch topics since there were more pressing concerns then playful banter. A shame really, but it was like that saying went: business before pleasure. "Anyways, what should we do about your friend, Cloud?... Cloud?"

Both Aerith and Naruto turned their heads to see that Cloud was no longer with them. The sound of booted feet hitting steel caused them to look behind Aerith. Cloud had hopped onto the slide proper, and then jumped onto the sandy ground. A small track of sand sprayed the area from the force of the booted impact. Cloud took off, running towards the pathway that they had just watched the carriage carrying Tifa through a minute ago.

"Should we follow him?" asked Naruto, his gaze going from where Cloud was disappearing to Aerith.

Aerith looked at him, a smile on her face and the glint of adventure in her eyes.

"You have to ask?"

"Just checking."

Naruto and Aerith made their own way down from the slide, Aerith took Clouds route while Naruto simply hopped down from the top. The pair took off at a light jog. As they tried to catch up to Cloud, Naruto came to the realization that this was going to be a long day.

It looked like his days of peace with Aerith had finally come to an end.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope everyone enjoyed this short reprieve from their daily dose of hell. I would say more, but I really can't think of anything right now so I'll leave you all here.<strong>

**Pokemaster12, signing off.**


	12. A3 C12: Chasing Tifa

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 3: Trouble Arises**

**Chapter 12: Chasing Tifa**

* * *

><p>Naruto frowned as he and Aerith tried to catch up to Cloud. He had to give credit where it was due. Despite that oversized butter knife on his back the guys could run. They made one turn after another, large mounds of junk and twisted steel blocked everything save a single path upon which they ran, essentially creating a road. Soon, all around him, he noticed signs etched into metal. Some were propped up against the side of the road, others on metal plates simply lying around. <em>Wall Market<em>. He ran down into a tunnel ahead, a giant segmented tube. Inside, it was paved and modified into a road that the carriage, and Cloud, must have followed. When the two of them emerged on the other side, they skidded to a stop.

Ramshackle houses and dilapidated shacks grew out of the walls like caves in a cliff face. All around him were busy shops and glitzy scenery, a flashy bazaar set up against the wall as a sort of trading hub between sectors. The scene was abuzz with activity. The dirtied denizens of the slums perused stalls and wares, browsing among tents and shacks set atop dirt mounds and hills of metal. In all directions, signs and advertisements of all colors burned forth, covering the area in a dizzying jungle of neon light.

Naruto frowned as he tried to pick out Cloud from among the many shoppers. Really, how hard could it be? How many people had spiky blond hair besides him and Cloud? Perhaps it was difficult because of the dozens of stalls and hundreds of people that blocked his view. Nearby, he heard one heckler call out to passerby, dressed all in dusty brown.

"Earth shattering Materia in the palm of your hand! Come by Teel's for a taste of power!"

Across the way, a red-haired trinket salesman called out interestedly to a young man and his pretty girlfriend.

"That's quite a looker you've got there, my boy! Take her to the Don's place and you'll score a bundle!"

Insulted, the girl stormed off into the crowd. Her boyfriend followed, trying desperately to console her. The young man turned, shooting a glare at the shopkeeper. With a shrug, the merchant ignored him and looked back to his stash of goods. He resumed moving various baubles into a vaguely aesthetic assortment. Nearby to Naruto and Aerith, a grungy man with oily gray hair started rummaging through a garbage can, clearly hoping for a free meal. Naruto sighed.

This place was the Wall Market, and it was quite possibly a place he hated more than any other. It was a place Naruto avoided whenever he could, and it would be wise to accomplish what they came to do and leave as quickly as possible.

"Do you see Cloud?"

Aerith shook her head as she stood on her tip toes, a hand raised to hover over her eyes as if it would help her lock onto Cloud.

"No, it's impossible to see anybody over this crowd."

"Ugh... it really shouldn't be this hard," Naruto complained, feeling a bit put out. He was taller than a good majority of the people in this crowd, and even he couldn't see the familiar spiky mop they were searching for. "How many people besides him and I have spiky blond hair."

Aerith managed an amused smile as she continued her search.

"You two are pretty unique in that respect." She frowned as she moved back down onto her heels. Looking over at Naruto she said, "I don't think we'll be able to find him from here."

"I was afraid you'd say that." He sighed. Naruto looked over at her, his eyes conveying how worried he truly was about entering this place with her. "Stay close to me, ok? This isn't the kind of place you want to get lost in."

Aerith giggled lightly. An attempt to ease the tension. It worked, somewhat.

"Don't worry, I'll stick close to you."

Naruto smiled a little, even if he didn't like the thought of taking Aerith into a place like this. While it was rare, he had traveled into Wall Market on occasion. While other slums were rundown, but filled with nice people who often helped each other to survive, there was no such camaraderie in this place. It was a dog eat dog world here. Survival of the fittest as it were. With gangs and cutthroats and rapists. It you weren't careful in this part of the slums, you were liable to find yourself thrown in a ditch, your throat slit and your cold corpse left to rot.

He tightened the grip of his left hand. The feel of his sheath brought comfort to him. If nothing else, Naruto was confident in his talent to fend off any bastard who might get some not so bright ideas. Most of the people here were violent, but there was no real talent in any of them. In a place like this, Naruto couldn't be afraid to let some of his killer instincts take over.

His right arm slid around Aerith's waist, surprising the girl and earning a slight squeak. Normally such an act would have been one of intimacy, but right now all he was thinking about was keeping her close enough so no one could try anything. He pulled her close enough that she was forced to place a hand on his chest as her head came into contact with his shoulder.

"N-Naruto."

He looked down to see her staring up at him, a slight blush on her face at the possessiveness he was displaying. His eyes softened, just a little, and he gave her a warm smile.

"So we don't get separated," he said by way of explanation. Aerith, after a moment or two seemed to accept this. She smiled at her, then let her head rest against his shoulder. To further make herself comfortable she nestled herself against his torso, one arm sliding around his back while the other was pressing firmly against his right pectoral. They looked like a couple out for an evening stroll. Taking a deep breath, Naruto waded into the crowd.

"Woooaa-hoooh!" The vender from before said as his locked onto Aerith, a lustful smile taking shape on his face. Not used to nor liking the look, Aerith attempted to hide herself in Naruto's chest. The man looked at Naruto with a smile. "Quite the pretty one you've got. You know, if you take her to Don's you'll be paid a hefty some for her."

Naruto's reaction was instant and, unfortunately – for the man in front of him – far less restrained then he wanted it to be. He glared at the man with a look of such utter contempt that just his icy gaze alone would cause someone to shrink back in fear. However, Naruto was also bearing his fangs to the man, long, sharp canines that gleamed in the low lighting. Add in the killing intent he sent the fools way and it was a wonder the vender hadn't pissed himself.

"I suggest shutting that mouth of yours right now," Naruto hissed, his voice cold, dangerous. It spoke of violence about to be committed upon the one his tone was directed towards. If words alone could kill, the vender who had earned his ire would have already been dead. "If I hear you saying something like that again, especially about _my _girl I will rip your cock off and shove it so far up your ass it will come out of your throat!"

The man's eyes widened as he stared at the blond. His knees shook and soon, so too did the rest of his body. His breathing came out labored. He wanted to look away from Naruto, who was radiated a cold killing intent at him, but for some reason couldn't. If he did, he was sure he would die. Strange energy began leaking out from the blond, purplish black wisps of smoke that surrounded him. A figure formed out of the smoke, appearing behind him. It was vaguely humanoid, but with no legs, wearing a tattered white robe that was ripped and frayed at the ends. The robe was held together by a crisscrossing of chains. A purple mask covered it's face, a demonic visage of death and gloom. Two eye holes with no eyes, nothing but black holes that seemed to suck in all life stared at him. The vender felt as if he were staring at death itself.

"I-I-I-I'm sorry!" He squeaked, his voice terrified on the verge of hysterical. It brought some attention from the people around him, but most didn't care enough about the daily lives of others to pay too much attention, and they went about their business seconds later. "I-I'll never... never again! I promise!"

"Good!"

And just like that the aura of death that had been suffocating the vender disappeared. The demonic visage that had appeared to be death incarnate was gone, and there was only the blond man and the girl his arm was wrapped around. Nothing else. It was almost like he had imagined it. But then, why was he shaking so much?

Naruto continued on, wading back into the crowd. He used his free hand, the one with his Ōkatana in it, to gently yet forcefully push people out of the way. For those who were too stubborn to move, the aura of 'fuck with me and you die' that he projected and sent their way made them _want_ to get away from him as quickly as possible. The few idiots who were dumb enough to cast their lecherous eyes at Aerith received a concentrated, albiet, less powerful dose then the one he gave the vender, of killing intent. Less powerful simply because he didn't stop to blast it with them like he had that man.

Aerith didn't even pay attention to the other people around them after they had left the vender, terrified beyond belief and ready to piss his pants. Her eyes were on Naruto, who was looking far more irate then usually. She was concerned, naturally.

"What did you do to that man back there?"

"Killing intent," Naruto answered gruffly. "Simply put, it's an aura of chakra infused with the intention to kill, maim, or otherwise hurt. It could be focused or widespread, weak enough to cause slight discomfort or strong enough to induce images of death. Regardless of focus or strength, the feel of the Killing Intent produced is different from one person to the next and from one situation to the next. For some it could be tinged with bloodlust, for others it may be laced with hatred, rage, determination, confidence… the different emotion used will invoke a different feeling for the one you are using it on."

"Is that what you did?"

"No," Naruto shook his head. "My killing intent is different from everyone else. Unique, I guess. When I project it, I am not infusing my chakra with the intention to kill. I am infusing my chakra with the certainty that whoever I am using it on is already dead, they just don't know it yet..." He paused, looking uncertain as he searched for the right words. "It's a bit difficult to explain. But when I project my killing intent, it is with the absolute certainty that I can kill my opponent no matter who they are or how strong they are. So I suppose what I project could be called a killing certainty."

Aerith's gaze turned slightly worried, concerned. Not for herself, she knew Naruto would never hurt her, ever. But concern for him. Naruto didn't like killing, she knew he had been in a war in his home world as he had told her about it, and she knew that her friend had seen so much death it turned him off to the act of killing. He would if necessary, she knew that, but she also knew it was a last resort kind of thing.

Which of course, would explain why she was worried.

"Why would you do that?"

At the sound of her soft voiced, the worry in it unmistakable, Naruto stopped. His body freezing for a moment before he started walking again.

"I couldn't stand the thought of what he suggested," Naruto said softly, his eyes looking straight away, unwilling to let his wavering gaze be seen by her. To let her know just how much these thoughts scared him. "I have never met the Don personally, but I've heard many things about what he does to the women that are sold to him. Some of them are far too horrible to even mention. If he does even half of the things I've been told, then killing you would be a mercy compared to leaving you in his hands."

He sighed, returning back to his original position as he resumed walking.

"Just the thought of you being at that man's mercy makes my blood run cold."

Naruto was stopped for a second time. Aerith halted their progress, forcing him to use his quick reflexes to keep from tripping her. He felt her hands move, placing themselves on his shoulder and turning him around. Naruto looked down at his feet as his body was turned to face her, refusing to meet her gaze. Aerith frowned, leaning forward so she could get look him in the eye, frowning even more when for some reason, she couldn't. He was seven inches taller then her, it shouldn't even be possible to keep his gaze hidden from her by staring at the ground for Gaia's sake!

"Naruto. Look at me."

When he refused to as she asked, Aerith placed a hand under his chin and forced his head to tilt until he met her eyes. Beautiful, emerald green orbs stared into glowing sapphire. She held his gaze, searching. For what, even she wasn't quite sure. There was a lot that could be seen in those eyes. It was the one place Naruto was completely vulnerable. His body language might be able to hide what he was thinking and feeling, but his eyes could not. They were more expressive then anything she had ever seen. An open book to those who knew him. Whatever it was she was searching for, Aerith seemed to find it, for a beautiful smile made it's way to her face.

The next thing Naruto knew was the feeling of a pair of soft, warm lips being pressed against his cheek. He was confused, shocked even. One second, Aerith was staring at him, piercing into his soul with her eyes. The next, Aerith was leaning up on her tip toes and placing her moist, pink lips on his cheek.

Naruto shuddered. Her lips were so soft against his skin, a silk yukata that slid over his flesh. Warmth seemed to spread throughout his body, starting at the point where her lips were firmly planted and quickly engulfing him. He felt many things, shock, surprise, astonishment, to name a few. Above and beyond that he felt elated, happy, ecstatic. There was an electric shock where Aerith had kissed him, sending jolts of pleasure through his body. Her kiss, it was different from every other kiss he had received. He had been kissed many times, and kissed quite a few girls. None of it compared to this. Nothing. And he couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if she were kissing him on the lips instead of the cheek.

She pulled back, much to Naruto's disappointment. But when she smiled at him, he couldn't find it in himself to complain. Or even think about complaining. Her smile was so beautiful, resplendent. It could light up even the dreariest of places. It was his light. One of the few things in this world that could wash away all of his regrets.

"Thank you," she said, her smile remaining her face as she returned back to his side and began moving. Aerith had to drag him with her for the first few seconds while his mind rebooted. Eventually, after he managed to restart his fried brain, Naruto started to walk under his own compunction. The crowd soon thinned as they reached the less populated area, and it was there that they found Cloud.

He was staring at a large building ahead. He stood at a cautious distance from its entrance, peeking at the structure from behind a faded red vending machine. In front of the building, bright pink fluorescent lights blinked on and off, casting an intermittent glow of blinding magenta throughout the area. Aerith and Naruto looked at each other, before moving up to Cloud who noticed them and gave a sharp nod of acknowledgment. They didn't have to ask why he was here. Tifa must have come this way. The trio simply stood there, inspecting the building from a distance.

The neon lights gave the building an illusion of nonchalance and flamboyant character. But, watching closely, Naruto could detect more going on beneath the facade. Around the exterior, well-built men in closely cropped suits and dark glasses busied themselves playing cards and talking amongst themselves, pretending to be occupied as they clandestinely kept a close watch on the area. At the entrance, a small group of young women were escorted inside by a few of the men in suits, their scantily clad bodies eliciting hoots and calls from the men nearby.

Suddenly, Naruto, Cloud and Aeris flinched as a loud bang erupted close to them. A trash can rolled aimlessly down the path, kicked over by a staggering and drunk old man. With a gap-toothed smile, he made to follow the girls, his arms open wide as he advanced. Near to the entrance, a man with a solid black mohawk spoke into the base of his palm. Immediately, two of the guards with the group of women doubled back. Without warning, they swiftly grabbed the drunk's arms with sudden force. Ignoring his loud complaints, they took him into an alley around the corner. Naruto grimaced as he heard muffled thumps and the sound of metal on bone. He glanced at Aeris out of the corner of his eye and then gave a mental sigh of relief. She seemed not to hear it.

Aeris turned to him, her face and eyes beginning to light up in understanding.

"Is this the kind of place I think it is?"

As if to confirm her suspicions, a passionate and melodramatic squeal cascaded out of a window from far above. Immediately, Aeris' face turned red. At the same time, the guard who had spoken into his cuff spotted Cloud, or Naruto, with their bright hair it was hard to not to see at least one of them. Perhaps he even saw them both. The man walked forward to confront the trio. Naruto quickly placed himself in front of Aerith, on guard as Cloud walked forward to confront the man with a blank stare. The man put a hand up in front of them.

"This is the mansion of Don Corneo, the most powerful man in Wall Market. He's not into men, so I hope you plan on selling this girl here. If not, then leave. Otherwise, I'm going to have to call my boys over and beat the crap out of you."

As Cloud's glare turned icy, Naruto shivered, and not with the cold. His entire body began shaking as he clenched his fists, the sound of the sheath of his Ōkatana groaning came from his left. Aerith looked down when she heard the sound, but promptly forgot about it when she saw blood beginning to leak out of his other fist. It was clenched so tightly his finger nails were beginning to dig into his flesh. Realizing what was about to happen she grabbed him by the arm. He looked at her sharply but she ignored the glare for now and turned to look at their other companion.

"Cloud!"

Said ex-SOLDIER turned, looking at her. He had a frown on his face but she gestured to Naruto, then him and finally her, before gesturing back towards the street. Cloud seemed to understand a moment later. He nodded, and then began moving towards them as Aerith forcefully dragged Naruto along. When they stopped a few seconds later, Aerith grabbed Naruto by the face and forced him to meet her eyes.

"Calm down."

Two simple words, but they had an immediate effect. Naruto closed his eyes, taking a deep breath his body relaxed. His shoulder slumped slightly, the muscles in his arms visibly un-tensing as her soothing, melodious voice washed over him. When he opened his eyes again they were much more clear then before, no longer tinged with bloodlust.

"What's with you today?" Aerith joked, trying to lighten the mood. However, it was in poor taste at the moment.

"I have... bad experience with rapists." Naruto closed his eyes and shuddered, his mind reliving memories he didn't want to. The Elemental Nations had never been a pretty place. Aside from the constant on and off warfare the land had suffered throughout the years after the Shinobi Villages were formed, the amount of bandits that littered the countries was astounding. During his training trip with Jiraiya, and many times after that he had run across many bandits camps. Many of them possessing women they had captured in villages and passing caravans they had raided.

Naruto could still remember the sights he had come upon when he ran afoul one of those disgusting places. He remembered seeing how the men, dirty, rotten, unclean men with rotting teeth and the smell of not having washed for months, raping the women they had captured. He remembered hearing the cries of the women, pleas for help that were so hopeless, because who would be out there, that far from civilization?

The mind of a young boy, shinobi or not, is not ready to see these kinds of sights. When Naruto had first seen it, he had been thirteen, just in the start of his training trip. It had left it's impression, scarring his mind in ways he likely didn't even know. Since then, the memories of that first sight haunted him, and the more bandit camps he ran across the more his hatred for the kind of people who could force themselves on another person grew. In time, he had come to hate rapists of any kind so much that even the mere mention of was enough to set him into a frenzy.

Was it irrational? To possess such hatred against something? Maybe. But Naruto had always been one who was ruled by his emotions. While the war may have forced him to think with a cold logic, it had never, _could_ never, change the core of who he was. And it had never been in his nature to turn a blind eye when someone was in such blatant need of help.

Aerith's eyes widened, an expression of horror crossed her face.

"Oh Gaia! I'm so sorry Naruto!" The man in question opened his eye to look at her, his expression turning quizzical. Aerith was in hysterics as she tried to apologized. "I didn't mean – I mean you never told me –"

"Aerith, what are you talking about?" asked Naruto, staring at her with a quizzical frown.

Aerith stopped in mid sentence. She looked at him aghast, but soon leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"I didn't know you had been..." She trailed off, unable to finish. Naruto blinked, nonplussed for several moments as he tried to figure out just what in the hell the girl was talking about. It took him a second before realization set in, and when it did his eyes promptly widened.

"You think I was the one who was raped?" Naruto's almost choked on his own saliva at Aerith's wince, which was quickly followed by a look of sympathy. "Aerith it's not – not like that." Her expression morphed from sympathy to curiosity, her brow furrowed. "_I _was never raped, however, I've... seen a lot of others get raped." He paused, sighing, then took a deep breath. "Where I come from there were a lot of bandits who would... capture, women, and use them to pleasure themselves." As he spoke his voice began growing softer. "I was 13 when I ran afoul my first bandit camp and saw them... saw the kinds of depraved things humans could do to each other. Seeing something like that at such a young age, it leaves it's scars, wounds that simply can't heal. Ever since then, I've hated rapists with a passion."

Aerith looked at him for the longest time. Everything around them seemingly disappeared and all they could see was each other. After a few seconds, which felt like hours, Aerith moved. She wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her face in his chest.

"I'm sorry," she murmured softly, her voice was almost impossible to hear over the din of noise and bustle in Wall Market. "I had no idea any of that had happened to you..."

"It's not something you should feel sorry about," Naruto sighed, his arms engulfing the much smaller girl in a hug. He rested his cheek against her head, taking in the comfort of her body against his, the soothing scent she possessed that pervaded his nose and calmed him down. "I didn't tell you about some of the more... vile acts I've seen humans commit upon each other. You couldn't have known... and truth be told I didn't really want you to."

Aerith tilted her head up, forcing Naruto to remove his head from atop of hers, and rested her chin against his body as she looked into his eyes.

"Why?"

"As you said when we first met, this is a chance for me to start anew." Naruto smiled slightly, his eyes softening. "I didn't want this kind of baggage carrying me down. I wanted to live my life without having to worry about past horrors. I wanted a new life... with you."

Aerith's breath caught in her throat. Could those words mean she thought they meant? What she was hoping they meant? What she wanted them to mean? She stared into his eyes, beautiful orbs of the deepest blue glowing in the low lighting. There were so many emotions in those eyes... and a hint of something else, something she couldn't identify. Whatever it was, it made her feel... different then usual, hot.

"Naruto..."

Aerith tilted her head up, eyes fluttering closed.

"Aerith..."

Naruto began to lean his head down, drawing his face inexorably closer to hers.

"Ahem!"

Startled, the two jerked back from each other as a knee-jerk reaction. Turning as one, they looked at their third companion who was decidedly annoyed at the pair, not only for getting all sappy at a time like this, but also for completely ignoring him. With his arms crossed, Cloud glared at the two.

"I hate to interrupt your moment, but could you two do this later. Right now, we need to think of a way to get inside."

Naruto sighed, slowly pulling away from Aerith, who didn't react, embarrassed as she was. He closed his eyes and took deep breaths, trying to find his center again. It had been so long since he'd done anything truly serious, even breaking into Shinra headquarters had never been this austere. And he couldn't just henge his way into this building... not yet, at least. He also needed to make sure he wouldn't fly off the handle like that again. Now that he was thinking more clearly, his loss of control over his emotions embarrassed him. As a ninja, he was always supposed to be in control, always calm, cool and collected, thinking fifty moves ahead of everyone else and having contingencies within contingencies. He needed to regain that, his shinobi instincts. A few moments later, Naruto opened his eyes, the orbs no longer a warm blue, but a glacial look as his mind began analyzing possibilities.

He looked at Cloud, who seemed shocked by this sudden and dramatic shift in him.

"The first thing we need to do is gather whatever information we can on Don Corneo."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>The shack could hardly be called an inn, yet that was just what it was. A wooden sign dangled weakly from the top of the lamp post nearby, its letters corroded and blackened by years of exposure to the pollutants of Midgar. The corrugated steel of the outside walls could be seen through flecks of peeling brown paint, as if it was shedding what was left of its humanity. Naruto, with Aerith holding him, her right arm wrapped around his torso as she snuggled against him, and her left hand firmly holding his hand, fingers laced together, walked in. He used his free hand to open the door, slamming it to one side as they strode in. Cloud followed just a few feet behind them, cautiously glancing around the room, a single hand on the hilt of his sword.<p>

Within, a long and dark steel counter split the room in two. Behind it, a fat and grizzled bartender scrubbed a glass with a metal sponge. He seemed not to acknowledge their entrance, murmuring to himself as they approached. A menagerie of ripped bar stools sat against the counter, all unoccupied except for the one furthest away from the doorway. That seat was occupied by a drooping middle-aged man deep in his cups. A pale blue cap adorned his head, pulled almost completely over his eyes, long ragged grey hair scattered across his back. He gazed over at trio as they entered, his eyes reddened from either lack of sleep or too much drink.

Naruto looked down at Aerith, then Cloud.

"I want you two to get that booth over there in the corner." He motioned with his free hand to a small booth located in a corner darkened by the lack of lights in an already lowly lit room. "Watch out for possible signs of trouble while I gather some info on Don Corneo."

This was standard procedure in the Elemental Nations. When working as a group in an intelligence gathering session, one person would always gather the information, while the others watched their backs in case their snooping didn't go unnoticed. Teamwork was the key.

"Ok."

Aerith let go his hand, her arm slid from around his waist, and she slipped away from him, following Cloud who had merely given him a nod before moving towards the booth. Naruto walked over to the bar, casually sitting down next to the unkempt man. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw Aerith and Cloud sitting in the booth. Aerith was watching him while Cloud's eyes roamed everywhere, observing the entire room. That was good, the ex-SOLDIER seemed to know the drill in these situations.

Grabbing the bartender's attention, he silently motioned for the man to give the regular a drink. As the grizzled man turned, Naruto pulled out several coins and placed them on the table. Sliding them over towards the man he was sitting next to. The middle-aged man pocketed the coins hurriedly, not even bothering to count them as he shoved them into his jacket pocket. He then looked at Naruto expectantly, waiting for the blond to tell ask his question.

"I want to know everything you know about Don Corneo."

The bartender placed a beer down. Drinking deeply from his new glass of swill, the middle-aged man glanced surreptitiously at Naruto. He whetted his lips for a moment, eyes darting around before relaxing.

"He owns Wall Market. He _is_ Wall Market."

Naruto didn't say anything, he knew this mans type. They loved to create suspense, he would draw this out for a while, testing the waters to see how much Naruto wanted this information before telling him. It was a standard practice used to gauge the people they were handing their information to. The man took another quick swig.

"He's an infamous dilettante, a man who dabbles in what I call illegal. Drugs, prostitution... you name it. Y'see Wall Market was all his idea. It's his own little domain, a trading hub between sectors that rakes in loads of dough from those wanting an escape from the slum life of Midgar's underbelly. And he makes a pretty penny from each and every transaction that goes on here. Protection money, y'see. And this has gone on for years... decades even!" The man took another drink, "But y'see, now... now he wants to settle down and is in the market for a bride. So he's havin' pretty girls from all sectors parade themselves before him in the hopes that they'll get picked. A life with the Don would be demanding, but it would be a life of luxury compared to all this."

He gestured around him lazily with one arm. The wall behind him was covered in decayed photographs and filth. The bartender glared at the man with milky eyes glazed over with age and infirmity. The drunk leaned closer to Naruto, his breath exuding a foul aroma of cheap beer. His eyes skittered from side to side, as if he was about to share some melodramatic secret. Naruto frowned, but didn't react otherwise. The man whispered loudly, his rancid breath passing across Naruto's senses.

"Rumor has it that he is in cahoots with Shinra."

Naruto measured the man for a moment, and then placed some more coins on to the table. The man gazed at them greedily.

"Y'see, the Don has information that Shinra wants, so his regulars have been replaced with Shinra guardsmen as part of the deal, for protection. At least... that is what the rumor on the street is. Seems pretty apparent to me."

It made sense, Naruto concluded to himself. Those men he had seen guarding the mansion had definitely not been your average run of the mill cutthroat. Their stances, the way they had acted, the tactic of having several men standing to the side acting like they were messing around when they were really keeping an eye on everyone there, all of it had screamed professional. That would make things more difficult, but nothing they couldn't work around.

Tossing a few more gold coins onto the table, Naruto smoothly rose to his feet. When Aerith saw him stand, she tapped Cloud on the shoulder, getting his attention and pointing to Naruto. He looked over at his fellow blond, their eyes crossed paths and Naruto nodded his head towards them, then gestured towards the exit. Cloud nodded back, and he and Aerith stood up, and made their way to Naruto as the shinobi exited the building.

When they arrived outside, Naruto was waiting for them. Aerith walked up and placed her hand in his, smiling sweetly at him as her other hand went to his arm. Naruto relaxed under her touch, allowing himself a moments peace before turning to Cloud and gesturing for him to follow. They moved through the street, making their way to a spot that was far less crowded. Thankfully it was getting easier, though that may have something to do with the giant sword strapped to the ex-SOLDIER's back. Naruto led them into a small back alley that was abandoned, a few tipped over trash cans that were rusting with age were all that stood. The place was abandoned.

"So it looks like we've got a bit of a problem..."

Naruto started as he began explaining the situation to Cloud and Aerith. They both listened, the ex-SOLDIER kept his gaze impassive. Aerith twirled a lock of shiny brown hair in her hands.

"... So there you have it," Naruto said with a finish, running a hand through his hair. "The Don's apparently looking to marry. Tifa is likely inside to try and be that girl so she can pry information on Shinra out of him."

Cloud nodded. If Don Corneo was working for Shinra that would make sense, though how Tifa found out was another story. A frown marred his face, and while it was the only outward sign of his emotional disposition that he gave, it was clear that he was worried about his childhood friend.

"I suppose we could break in..." he said pensively. "However, that would cause a big commotion. It may even bring Shinra down on us."

A giggle escaped from Aerith. The two blonds looked over at her, eyebrows raised in almost identical expression, which just caused Aerith to giggle more. The pair of blonds looked disgruntled. She smiled, then shrugged as if she knew something they didn't know, looking pleased with herself about something.

"You have an idea, Aerith?" Naruto asked quizzically, raising a single eyebrow.

Aerith smiled, shrugging as her left foot began making circles on the ground.

"Well... what if you two dressed up as women to get inside the mansion?"

Cloud looked at her like she had lost her mind.

"_What_?"

Aeris tried to stifle a giggle, failing utterly.

"It's the only way!" she said, obviously entertained.

"No, no way!" Cloud shook his head, crossing his arms as if to ward off the very idea of him dressing up as a woman. "Not gonna happen!"

"Oh, why not?" Aerith's smile was of the cat that ate the canary. "I think you'd make a very pretty girl."

Cloud began coughing, trying futilely to hide his growing blush. How could she even suggest he do something like that? He shook his head adamantly. There was no way, no way he was going to dress up like a girl. Even if it was the only way to get inside. He opened his mouth to tell her that, but was beaten to the punch by Naruto.

"I think it's a good idea."

"What!?"

Cloud spun to stare at his fellow blond, his eyes incredulous. Naruto saw the look and shrugged.

"We need to get inside, right? But the only way to do that is to be a woman, or one of Corneo's guards. Unfortunately, all of the guards are already inside, which means the only thing we can do is disguise ourselves as women to infiltrate the mansion."

"A-And your ok with this?" Cloud asked, his mind reeling. How could anyone, especially someone like Naruto not have any problems dressing up as a girl? It just didn't make sense, and he was now starting to get a headache just thinking about it.

Naruto shrugged.

"Cloud, you might be an ex-SOLDIER, but I'm a ninja. I've done plenty of things in my life that I didn't like. Do you think this is the first time I've been forced to dress as a girl so I could infiltrate some rich snobs place?"

That brought Cloud up short. Even Aerith was looking at Naruto in surprise.

"You mean you've done this before?"

"Mmhmm," Naruto nodded. "I've done it twice. The first time I had to dress up in order to infiltrate the mansion of a noble who had dealings in the slave market and assassinate him. The other time I had to get caught by the same black market so I could destroy it from the inside out and free the slaves they were set to sell." He saw the looks he was getting, Cloud looked at him like he had grown a second head, while Aerith was frowning. He shrugged. "As a ninja, we're often called upon to do things like this."

Cloud was still on the fence, that much was obvious. He needed a little push.

"Don't you want to find out if Tifa is safe?" asked Aerith, looking at him with large, puppy dog eyes. "She's your friend isn't she?"

Cloud tried to look away, even his inexperienced mind could tell those eyes were dangerous. Yet for some reason, her gaze was drawing him in. He found it impossible to look away. "I... well... yes... but..." His will slowly eroded. In the end, he could do nothing but sigh, his shoulder slumping. "Fine."

It was for Tifa. That's what he told himself.

"Great!" Aerith smiled at him. "Then let's go. Operation: Turn Cloud into a Girl is now commencing!"

"Urk!"

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>The shop was very basic. Old and worn, much like the rest of the buildings that could be located in the slums. Yet where most shops and bars would be covered in stains and rust, corrugated with age, it was clear the owner of this store took care of the place. The walls were clean and rust free, painted in a light cream color that soothed all those who entered. The floor was made of a tiled dark wood, polished to a shine. In the center of the shop was a large purple rug with a darker purple square patch in the center, it followed a pattern after that with the next patch outlining the square being a lighter purple, followed by the darker purple again. To the immediate right of the door was a counter with a cash register next to the wall farthest from them, several papers littered the table and there was a red stool behind the register. Dozens of racks lined the walls, covered in dresses of all shapes and makes, a cornucopias amount of color and frills that bedazzled the eyes. It was actually making Cloud dizzy just looking at all of the dresses.<p>

"Good evening, how may we help you today?"

A slightly plump woman with a bright smile greeted them. Her light orange hair was covered by a purple cap, several strands stuck out in various ends giving her a slightly messy look. However, her immaculate blue and purple suit told them this was just how her hair was. A blue long sleeve dress shirt that acted as both shirt and skirt covered most of her body, similar to a tunic, with a brown belt buckled around her waist. Her pants were a dark purple, capris that flared out slightly at the ends. Her outfit was finished off with a pair of brown boots.

"We're looking for a pair of dresses," Naruto took the lead, speaking to the woman and gesturing to Aerith and Cloud. The woman looked at Aerith, nodding slightly as she sized her up. Then her eyes turned to Cloud and bulged. She looked back at Naruto with an expression that if Naruto had to place a name to it would be baffled incredulity. He chuckled.

"I know what your thinking, how could such a tough looking guy want a dress? Right?" the woman nodded and he smiled some more. Turning her around, he placed a hand in the center of her upper back and leaned into to whisper. "The truth is, my friend here has always wanted to see what it was like to dress up as a girl. Call it idle curiosity."

"I... see..." The woman clearly did not see, but said that simply for lack of having anything substantial to actually say. However, she recovered quite admirably and straightened up before turning to Cloud. Aerith had gone off to one of the racks and was now looking at some of the dresses. "Well, since you are going to be more difficult to find something nice for, we'll start with you."

Cloud blinked, then gave Naruto and the woman a look that said he really didn't want to be here. However, Naruto just smiled.

"I'm sure she'll find something nice for you to wear."

Cloud gave him a withering glare that, if looks could kill, would have slaughtered Naruto on the spot. The shinobi being pierced with that gaze just grinned as the manager of the store grabbed Cloud by the arm, forcing him to stop his glaring as he was pulled off by the woman. Naruto chuckled a bit, a large grin on his face as he watched the ex-SOLDIER go from extremely angry at him, to incredibly embarrassed as the manager began sizing him up. Really, this was just too amusing.

With Cloud's attention being occupied by the manager, Naruto walked over to Aerith. As fun as it would be to watch his fellow blond getting a feminine make over, he didn't want to utterly embarrass the man... too much.

"Found anything you like?"

Aerith turned to face Naruto, a light blue dress in her hand. It was a spaghetti strap that stopped just below the knees. The dress was cute, but very basic. She held it up against her body, imposing it upon her as she asked, "what do you think?"

"It's nice, but too basic," Naruto determined as he looked at it. He gently took the dress out of Aerith's hands. She pouted but he didn't pay attention, instead placing the dress back down as he began searching for another one. "Plus the color is wrong for you. With your hair color and skin tone, red or pink would go much better."

A teasing smile made it's way to Aerith's face. She leaned over Naruto shoulder as she watched him go through the dresses.

"You seem to know a lot about fashion."

It was an idle comment, but Naruto didn't miss the teasing tone of her voices. Rather then be embarrassed he smiled.

"When I first had to infiltrate a nobles mansion as a woman, one of my friends, who was an expert on infiltration and assassinations, helped me by... expanding upon my sense of fashion." Naruto took a moment to shiver. The person who had helped him had been, surprisingly enough, Anko. Most people would never think that a woman like her would have good fashion sense, especially when they considered what she was wearing. It was a surprise for Naruto to learn that, while she didn't like dressing up, she was even more of a fashion guru than Ino. He also remembered how she played dress up with him as the doll during their excursion. Never had he been so embarrassed in his life.

Aerith frowned. She had been told more about his past in the last few hours then the entire year she'd known him. At least, she was being told more about his job as a ninja. While she would never judge Naruto based on his past, it bothered her to hear about how he had assassinated people. There was just something wrong about the thought of the friendly and upbeat blond killing in cold blood.

"How the hell do you put this thing on!?"

The startled exclamation drew Aerith's attention out of her inner thoughts. She and Naruto turned to the source, a distinctly male voice in the changing room. Cloud was no where to be seen, making it obvious who was in there. Naruto snickered as he walked up to the changing room.

"Need any help?"

"NO!"

"Ok, ok, don't get so uptight. I was just offering. Hurry up and come out so we can see how you look."

A growl escaped from inside the changing room, making Naruto's smile widen. There was a frantic amount of rustling, the zipping of fabric, and several loud curses, then silence. A few seconds later the curtain to the changing room was pushed away, revealing Cloud in a dress.

It was a dark purple dress with beaded crystal embellishments adorning the fluttery, split sleeves of a gorgeous jersey column defined by an Empire-waist seam, flatteringly subtle gathers and a high side slit. It was actually a very nice dress, beautiful even, however...

"You need boobs," Naruto stated without shame. "And a wig, that hair ain't gonna cut it if you want to look like a woman."

"W-What!?" Cloud shouted, his face turning beet-red. Naruto shrugged.

"You heard me. Now, the question is; how can we make it look like you've got boobs."

Cloud began to sputter indignities, but Naruto ignored him as he studied the blond in the dress. Aerith had also walked up to them, and was the one who seemed to have an idea on what to do.

"Why don't we just find him a really big bra and stuff it?"

"WHAT!?"

Naruto ignored Cloud's shouting as he nodded.

"That's a good idea. His dress doesn't have a V-neck so it will be easy to hide the fact that his breasts are fake. Unless someone tries to cop a feel..." Cloud's mouth fell open and his eyes went wide. Naruto chuckled and waved a hand up and down in front of his face dismissively. "Don't worry, I doubt any of the thugs will touch you since Corneo will want first dibs." Cloud sputtered even more, making Naruto grin. "And he won't even get to see you in the dress. We only need to infiltrate the mansion and find Tifa."

Despite Naruto words of reassurance, they did very little reassuring and Cloud continued protesting. Naruto and Aerith didn't bother listening as they grabbed several bras and forced him to go back into the changing room and try them on. Eventually, they decided on having him wear a D-sized cup, since it would give him enough curves to hide the decidedly male shaped torso. It would also keep people from staring at his muscled arms. By the time they had finished, Cloud had a chest size that rivaled Tsunade Senju, a blond wig with flowing long hair and a light amount of make up that Aerith and Naruto had forced him to wear. He was also glaring at the smiling pair.

"Your enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Now what makes you say that?" asked Naruto, smiling in a way that let everyone know that Cloud's accusation was spot on. He looked his fellow blond up and down for a moment before nodding approvingly. "You'd make a good woman."

"I hate you."

Naruto just laughed the comment off as Aerith went into the changing room with her own outfit. There was a bit of light rustling, nowhere near as much as when Cloud went in, and a small amount of muttering. When she came out a moment later Naruto, and Cloud, were forced to pick their jaws up off the floor.

The dress Aerith had chosen was a bold red in color. An evening gown with a mermaid style Satin and Chiffon dream design. The heart shaped neckline and tank straps had been beautifully accented in Swarovski crystals, accenting a tantalizing view of her cleavage, showing just enough to leave you wanting more but not enough to look sluttish. The crystal pattern was mimicked in the beaded embroidery of the empire waist band. The curve hugging Chiffon was clinging down the bodice and over the hips and thighs to cascade into a softly vertical pleated skirt at the knees, showing off Aerith's womanly curves while not actually revealing any skin. Her outfit was finished with a pair of red-heeled slip-on shoes.

She wasn't wearing any make-up. But Naruto didn't think she needed it. If anything, the use of make-up would detract from the natural beauty she exuded. It would mar Aerith's already flawless face.

Aerith covered her mouth with a red-gloved hand, giggling as she saw the twin expressions of shock and awe.

"Well? What do you think?"

"You look..." Naruto had to swallow as he found his throat suddenly dry. He licked his lips in an attempt to wet them. For several seconds he found himself speechless. Another giggle from Aerith brought him out of his stupor and he finally managed to find his voice. "I don't think there are any words in this life or the next that can truly describe just how incredibly beautiful you look."

Never let it to be said that Naruto didn't know how to give a compliment. His words were the perfect thing to say in the circumstances. Aerith's cheeks lit up in a light pink blush, somehow accentuating her already startling beauty. She looked away, raising a hand to her face in an effort to futilely hide her flushed cheeks.

"T-Thank you." For a few moments there was nothing but silence. If crickets had lived in the slums, Naruto was sure they would have been chirping. When the tension cast by the silence was so sick you could cut it with a rusty spork, Aerith sought to break it. She looked back at Naruto and, with a mild blush still staining her cheeks, asked, "so now we need to get you a dress so you can infiltrate Don Corneo's mansion too."

Naruto smiled, grateful for the change in topic. His eyes gleamed with the light of a prankster as he said, "oh don't worry about me. I've already got it covered." Aerith raised an eyebrow but before she could say anything, the orb in Naruto's arm began to glow and the blond muttered, "henge."

His body began to shimmer, small ripples forming around him. A change started happening. Naruto hips began to widen, his bust grew larger, as well as rounder, while his waist got thinner. The hard, masculine angles of his face softened, becoming rounded. His eyes became narrower, his nose softer and more curved and his lips became fuller. The once spiky locks became a long, flowing main of beautiful gold hair that shone and sparkled brilliantly, even in the low lighting of the store.

The clothing on his body also shifted, the pants unraveling and growing into a skirt that covered his, now her, knees and had twin slits running down the side that stopped high up on her thighs. The shirt attached itself to the skirt, now forming a sleeveless dress that had a large V-cut that went down to her navel, showing off great amounts of her luscious DD-cup chest. The dress was form-fitting, showing off every curve of the now female Naruto's body. She looked at the stunned Aerith and Cloud – the store manager had surprisingly passed out from a massive nosebleed, which made Naruto wonder about the woman's sexual preferences – and giggled.

"Hello, Aerith, Cloud, I'm very pleased to make your acquaintance. My name is Naruko, please take care of me." The woman's voice was lyrical, a soft and melodious sound that held a seductive edge to it. Cloud shuddered and was forced to turn around, suspiciously covering his nose. Aerith on the other hand, walked up to Naruko in a daze. She raised her hands and roughly groped the blond woman's chest. Naruko let out a shocked, yet throaty moan. "Ahhhn... A-Aerith... don't be so... ah... don't be so rough."

"I can't believe it," Aerith muttered as she fondled and groped the now female Naruto's chest. She looked very annoyed for some reason, a reason Naruto discovered a few seconds later. "These... these are bigger then mine! And firmer..." This was so not cool. Not only was Naruto the most handsome male she had ever met, but his female form was ridiculously hot too! How was that fair?

It took a while, but eventually Naruko managed to get Aerith to stop groping her breasts. When the brunette did stop, Naruko transformed back into Naruto under the claim that three hot women walking around in Wall Market is like asking to be raped, and he didn't want to have to deal with a bunch of lecherous men. Unfortunately for Cloud, he was forced to stay in dress. Much to his annoyance.

"Alright, Cloud, Aerith, I need you to hand me your weapons?"

"What?" Cloud blinked. He must not have heard him right.

"You heard me." Naruto held out his hand towards the sword Cloud was now carrying in his hands since he could no longer carry it on his back. "Your weapons. We won't be let inside the mansion if we're armed."

Aerith handed over her stave easily enough, however, Cloud seemed to have some issues letting anyone that wasn't him even touch his sword. It took quite a bit of effort on Naruto's part to convince the other blond to part with his weapon. He did have to wonder just why Cloud was so protective over the buster blade. Naruto had never grown attached to any of the weapons he used, except for his Ōkatana, which had been a gift from one of his senseis. Perhaps that overgrown butter knife held similar sentimental value.

Once he had managed to get Cloud to part with his sword, Naruto withdrew a scroll from his right hip pouch. Placing it on the ground he unrolled the scroll to reveal a sheet of parchment paper with what looked like glyphs of some kind. Thousands of running lines and symbols dotted the sheet, the intricate patterns spreading outwards in a circle centered around a large symbol that Cloud did not recognize. Naruto placed both the buster blade and stave on the paper and pressed his hands into the sheet, channeling his chakra. There was a puff of smoke and both Cloud and Aerith's weapons disappeared.

"W-What just happened?" asked Cloud with a surprising stutter, right before glaring at Naruto. "What did you do?"

"Relax," Naruto rolled his eyes as he rolled up the scroll. "I simply sealed your weapons into this scroll. Once we successfully infiltrate Corneo's manage I'll be able to bring them back out."

Cloud blinked.

"Sealed?"

"Um! Fuīnjutsu," Naruto said, nodding. "The art of sealing. It's a talent that my people possess. Those characters you saw on the parchment are kanji that I use to create what is called a containment seal. Essentially, I'm creating a separate dimension within this scroll where I can store items and weapons and the like."

Cloud was surprised. That was actually an incredibly useful ability. He could only imagine how much equipment he would be capable of carrying if he had that ability. It also told him a little bit about Naruto. If he could seal their weapons, then there truly was no telling just how many items and weapons the shinobi already had sealed somewhere on his person. That was a truly frightening thought. It was then Cloud noticed something else.

"Wait, where'd your sword go?"

"I already sent it away." Naruto waved a hand absently as if to ward off questions. He he had decided to use his fists for this, as he didn't want to have it out and accidentally kill someone in front of Aerith while in a fit of rage. He would never forgive himself if he let her see what kind of monster he could become given the right circumstances. "Now let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto, Cloud and Aerith once again made their way to Don Corneo's mansion. It took a bit longer this time, namely because Cloud and Aerith were attracting a lot more attention with their clothing. It took Naruto constantly releasing his killing intent to everyone minus Aerith and Cloud to keep away the men that were too lecherous for their own good. When they got to Don Corneo's mansion, Naruto took a moment to head into an empty alley and henge into Naruko before they all went up to the man in the front.<p>

"Excuse me," Naruko said in her lyrical and seductive voice. Being the only person with experience in infiltrating an enemy fortress, they had decided she would be their spokes person. The guards turned their gaze towards the trio of women, their eyes promptly widening, blushes staining their faces and drool beginning to dribble down their mouths. Naruko adopted a demure look, fluttering her eye lashes at the nearest guard as she sucked an index finger into her mouth. "We're here because we heard Mr. Corneo was looking for a wife. Do you think you could let us in?"

None of the guards were actually capable of talking, they just opened the doors and ushered the pair inside. The interior of the mansion was considerably extravagant, especially when compared to the rest of the slums. The floor was dark varnished wood paneling, a circular rug with red coloring and a golden Naga, a wingless dragon with an elongated serpentine body. Several pieces of artwork lined the walls, paintings and pottery. A staircase with a deep red finish and golden metal plates around the railings led to the second floor, where even more paintings were sitting. It was a stark contrast to the gritty, horrible conditions of the slums.

"Ah, more ladies coming in the hopes of becoming Mr. Corneo's wife."

A man who looked to be in his mid thirties wearing an extravagant black butlers suit with crisp edges and penguin coat tails stood before them. Naruto immediately noticed that this man was not a butler by profession, the way he moved, that predatory stance and the gleam of barely contained violence in his eyes told Naruto all he needed to know about this man. He was a fighter, a hired thug. He eyed the three, nodding in approval as he looked them over. Naruto had to consciously keep himself from leaking killing intent when the man eyed Aerith. He was just thankful most of the mans attention was on him.

"Come, I shall show you where the other ladies are waiting."

Naruto, Cloud and Aerith followed the man up the stairs. They passed by several doors before being led to a staircase leading down into another section of the mansion. With a grand gesture, the _butler _pointed towards the staircase, making it obvious they were to go down.

"I shall soon be informing Mr. Corneo of yours and the others arrival. Please wait in there and do not go wandering around."

They all nodded and went downstairs, Naruto taking the lead. The waiting room was just as extravagant and gaudy as the reception area they had been in, with lounge chairs with plush red pillows and golden decorations. The carpet was a deep crimson coloring and extremely soft. Several women were waiting around, some in groups, some alone, others were sitting and still some were standing. All of them however, were waiting for the same thing.

Except one.

Tifa was rather easy to spot, standing in a corner with her arms crossed and a look on her face that said she really didn't want to be there. The dress she was wearing was all black with a fitted Princess cut style that was both daring and elegant for formal affairs. The empire bodice featured a sweetheart neckline with a single short sleeve, accented by delicate Lace embroidered beadwork that draped from the sleeve, across the bust line and down one side. The Lace appliqué held the delicate Lace skirt in place above the thigh high front split. Her black heeled tops finished the ensemble. Next to Naruko, Tifa had the largest bust there.

"Tifa!"

At hearing her name called, Tifa turned around and spotted a beautiful blond woman walking towards her with a smile on her face. Following was an equally attractive brunette with startling green eyes. Cloud was not following. There was no way he could let Tifa see him like this.

"Wow, Tifa, when you dress up you really dress up!" The strangely familiar yet alien blond woman complimented. Tifa's only reaction was to frown.

"Excuse me, but do I know you?"

"Ah! Muu, Tifa," Naruko pouted, crossing her arms under her chest. "I can't believe you forgot who I am. I mean, sure, we haven't seen each other in a month but that should be no reason for you to forget me."

Tifa's frown just deepened.

"I'm sorry, but I have no idea who you are." She looked the blond up and down, even _she_, with her figure, couldn't help but feel a bit of envy at the woman's figure. "And I'm positive I would remember you if we had."

Naryko just giggled.

"That's because your not looking in the right spot." Deciding to give a hint, Naruko ran a delicate finger over her whisker marks. It took a few seconds, but when Tifa connected the dots her eyes widened.

"N-Naruto!?" She shouted in shock. The yell drew the attention of every other girl in the room. Most just looked for a second, idle curiosity playing on their features, before determining that whatever caused Tifa to shout was none of their business and turned back to what they were doing. Namely, waiting. A few girls sniffed derisively in their direction at the unrefined manner in which she spoke. They turned their noses at Tifa, who ignored everyone else to the exclusion of the person in front of her.

Naruko giggled.

"Took you long enough, Tifa. However, when I'm in this form, I'm Naruko, not Naruto."

Tifa frowned. Coming down from her shock she was thinking more clearly and was now curious about the blond's words.

"This form?"

"Mmm!" Naruko nodded emphatically. "I have a materia that let's me transform into anything I want, whether that be an object or a person." It was how he was able to sneak into Shinra headquarters so often. Instead of simply hedging into some random stranger, Naruto now often transformed into some of the people he knew that worked for Shinra. Normally after sneaking something into their food so they would fall asleep for the rest of the day.

Many an employee had been fired because of him.

"I see..." Tifa said, simply because she wanted to say something, but didn't know what to say.

Aerith decided to make her presence known.

"He's actually a girl while in this form too," she pouted. "He has bigger breasts then me."

Hearing Aerith's voice, Tifa turned to her and blinked, as if just now noticing the woman.

"I'm sorry, and you are?"

"Aerith."

"Ah! Your Naruto's um..." She trailed off, seeing the reproving look on Naruko's face. The fact that a hot girl now had the piercing eyes did not make the look any less intimidating. Chuckling a tad sheepishly, Tifa continued but changed her words. "Friend, he's told me a lot about you."

"Oh?" Aerith raised an eyebrow, looking curious. She looked over at Naruko who was decidedly not looking at her. Smiling, and feeling she could get a little payback for his words at the park and not telling her about Tifa, said, "what exactly has he been saying?"

Before Tifa could even open her mouth, Naruko butt in.

"Now is not the best time for this conversation." She turned to look at Tifa. "We're only here because Cloud saw you and was worried."

"Cloud?" Tifa's eyes lit up, a hopeful expression that caused the two to take a step back. "Is he here? Is he alright? Where is he?" Naruko and Aerith both pointed over to a young woman in a purple dress with glowing blue eyes much like Naruto's own. _She_ looked decidedly uncomfortable, _her_ eyes looked over towards Tifa's and then looked away just a quickly, a blush suffusing _her_ face.

Tifa looked at Naruko.

"That's Cloud?" At Naruko's knowing grin Tifa began snickering. "Oh! Oh this is... I never thought I'd see the day when... when Cloud dressed up as a girl!" Cloud must have heard her because the blush on his face increased to epic proportions. The man looked like he was in perma-blush mode.

"Aww, don't poke fun at him," Naruko said, though it was clear she was having fun at Cloud's expensive as well. Beside her, Aerith coughed into her hand so she wouldn't also laugh. "He was really worried about you, you know? He even dressed up as a woman just to make sure you were ok?"

"And I'm very... grateful!"

Tifa gasped. It took her a while, but eventually she managed to get her emotions under control, though the gleam of amusement in her eyes never left. She walked up to Cloud, whose eyes widened when he saw her. Stopping in front of the mortified blond, she smiled, slightly mischievous and slightly heartfelt thanks.

"Thank you for caring about so much to do... this." She gestured to Cloud's dress, snorting a bit at the end to hide another laugh. Cloud gave a stiff nod, but didn't say anything.

"Now then," Naruto said as he and Aerith walked up to them. "Since we've gotten all of that out of the way, why don't you tell us what possessed you to come here. Surely you know the kind of person Don Corneo is?"

Tifa nodded, looking away, unsure. Naruto saw this and realized it was likely because he and Aerith were not members of AVALANCHE. Tifa may like him well enough, but she certainly didn't trust him. That meant he would need to lay his cards on the table first.

"I already know that you and Cloud are working for AVALANCHE," he said, shocking Tifa. Naruto didn't let her say anything, however, as he continued. "And I can already guess that the reason you are here involves the knowledge that Don Corneo is working with Shinra. Am I right?"

It was clear that Naruto was right judging from the look on Tifa's face.

"Wha – but – how?"

"I'm just awesome like that." When he received three deadpanned stares, Naruto shrugged. "How I know doesn't matter. The point is that I do know and I am willing to help you." He savored the surprised look on the young woman's face. Unintentional or not, he could count this as a successful prank. "But I can't do that if you don't tell me what your up to."

For a long moment, Tifa was silent, mulling over the idea of letting Naruto know everything. She knew Naruto, maybe not that well due to how rarely they ever saw each other, but she did know him. And there was something about the blond... she didn't know what. But for some reason, Tifa just felt like she could trust him. It was her gut instincts and that feeling that ultimately made her tell Naruto and the others everything she had found out after AVALANCHED destroyed their second Mako Reactor.

"After you fell, we all went back to Sector 7," she said, looking over at Cloud to let him know she was talking about his fall from the Mako Reactor Bridge. "When we got there, everyone was acting strangely. The people in town kept giving us hooded glances, steering clear from us as we headed to_ Seventh Heaven_. For some reason, everyone was scared of us, scared of even being near or associated with us. Barret didn't like that. I tried to keep him calm. He went along with it at first, and let everyone do what they wanted without exploding at them. But once we got to _Seventh Heaven_, one of the regulars pointed us out to someone watching from afar. There was a man in the shadows, a man who looked completely out of place among the dirtied people of the slums. We discovered very quickly who he was. An agent of Don Corneo, the most prominent man in the slums, overseer of Sector 6."

Cloud nodded, his face thoughtful and calm as he listened. Naruko was already putting the pieces together, coming up with a theory that would be proven true with Tifa's next few words.

"Eventually, Barret couldn't take it. He determined to get to the bottom of it, as only he would. He marched right up to the man and fastened his gun arm on, slowly and deliberately. The man looked completely unimpressed. In fact, he stared right at Barret and lit a cigarette, as if to provoke him. He thought he was untouchable. When Barret pressed him up against the wall and roared at him, asking what his problem was; the man spat in his face. He said that we would all be sorry; he said that Don Corneo _knew_. He said that we were doomed. However, what Corneo knows we couldn't get out of him with any threat or injury. So I came here."

"I see," Naruko said, nodding as Tifa turned to look at him. "You wanted to get the information straight from the source, possibly even find out whether or not he betrayed you to Shinra."

"Yes, that's right," Tifa said, looking at him strangely. However, she shrugged her thoughts on the blond off, figuring she could learn more about him later. "Barret told me to leave the lech alone. But what the man said really bothered me."

"Which is why you decided to dress up like that," concluded Cloud. Tifa nodded.

"I made it here, but I was in a bind. I couldn't figure out how to get into the complex, how to get past the guards. Then I watched and overheard. Corneo was looking for a bride. Every day he would gather a group of girls, choose one of them, and then... and, well..."

She looked away.

"Anyways, I figured that the best way to get inside was to be one of those girls."

Cloud nodded while Naruko said, "that would make sense. However, now that you have me, Cloud and Aerith helping you out you no longer need to worry." Naruko form shimmered and before anyone knew it, Naruto was standing in her place again. Before surprise could set in with the other women, he pulled out the scroll containing Cloud and Aerith's weapons. Unrolling it in mid-air, Naruto bit his thumb on sharpened incisors and smeared his blood across the seal. There was a brief glow, a puff of smoke, and suddenly Naruto was tossing Cloud his buster sword and Aerith her stave.

"Kage Bunshin."

Three clones phased into existence beside him. By now all of the women were alerted to them, but before they could do anything such as scream or run away, one of the clones blocked the door while the others slapped silencing seal tags along the walls.

"I want all of you to be quiet!" Naruto shouted above the now clammering voices of scared women. It didn't work at first and so the blond continued. "Should all of you cooperate with us I can guarantee your safety. However, if you keep yapping I can promise that you will all be thoroughly humiliated by the end of tonight!"

The women soon quieted down and looked at him, fear mixing with anger.

"Good," Naruto said, nodding his head in satisfaction. It was always nice when people listened to you. "Now then, unfortunately, none of you will be meeting with Don Corneo tonight. You see, we..." he gestured to himself, Cloud, Tifa and Aerith. "Have an appointment with him that can't wait. Therefore I would ask all of you to wait here for the next two hours or so." Truthfully it wouldn't matter if they tried to escape, Naruto's clones had already set a powerful locking seal on the door that would only unlock if chakra was released into it, or two hours had passed. And considering he was the only person capable of using chakra like this, only he would be able to unlock it.

The women soon began shouting again, claims and threats filled the air but Naruto ignored them as he turned to his two stunned companions. Aerith was not in this category because she was no longer surprised by the things he could do anymore.

"Cloud, I've got your normal outfit right here. You and Tifa, if you have your original clothing with you, hurry up and get dressed. The sooner we get to Don Corneo the better."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>It wasn't long after Cloud, Aerith and Tifa got dressed in their normal outfits that they had taken off. Leaving the room and making sure that his seal was in place, Naruto led the others back up the staircase. He took it slow, not wanting to rush out head first and possibly run into one of Don Corneo's guards, or worse, Shinra. It was a good thing he did to, because when Naruto stuck his head out, he could see the man in butler garb coming out from a large and intricate door with gold and red patterns. Likely where Corneo was.<p>

Leaning back in, he turned to look at the others.

"Just leave this to me. Henge."

Naruto, back in his Naruko persona walked out of the staircase, drawing the _butler's_ attention and ire.

"I thought I told you to wait with the others."

"I'm really sorry," Naruko apologized demurely, appearing both contrite and sexy as she fluttered her eye lashes at him. "But I needed to go to the restroom and couldn't find one down there."

"Ah," the man looked miffed but understanding. He sighed, turning around. "Very well, follow me and I shall lead you to one."

He had just turned around when Naruko launched a punch at the man's head. The blond's initial thought that this man was a fighter turned out to be true. The butler sensed the attack coming and spun on a dime, his arm coming out to block the blow. However, Naruko had a sense of triumph when the butler/hired thug winced, clearly having not expected the hit to be so hard.

"I should have realized you were here for an alternate purpose," he said, jumping back to gain some distance between him and the blond. "Your movement is far to graceful to be anything other then a warrior."

Naruko smirked, his form shimmered and the thug was caught by surprise when the blond female changed into a spiky-haired man.

"You're right, I am here for another purpose."

With that said he charged the man. His left fist lashed out, a straight jab to the solar plexus. It was blocked, the thug using the flat of his hand to push it away. A retaliation strike was sent his way but Naruto easily dodged it, his body smoothly shifting to let it pass him by. He positioned himself perfectly, allowing him to move in past the man's guard to go in for a direct strike that would not be blockable. But the thug seemed to be smarter then he looked, because the man jumped back instead of letting Naruto come in for a hit.

"You're quite talented," the thug complimented, making Naruto smirk. A smirk came to the other man's face, however, making the blond frown. "However," he pushed a button on the side and soon several dozen guards burst in through various doors and secret panels in the walls. "You are also hopelessly outnumbered. Give up and I will make your death quick and painless."

Naruto cursed silently. While he had kept himself in shape, it was clear that his fighting capabilities had gotten rusty. Even his occasional scuffle with the Turks had been nothing more then playing pranks and joking around to throw them off balance. It had kept them from being able to react, since they didn't know what to do in the situations he had thrown them in. But aside from his initial encounter with Reno and Rude, he hadn't gone head to head with anyone for a long time.

Thankfully, he wasn't alone. Before anything else could be said, Cloud rushed out of the stairwell, buster sword in hand. He swung the large blade ferociously at the first thug near him. The man had been facing Naruto and thus, didn't even see the attack coming as he was smacked with the flat end of the blade. The man was sent flying, crashing into a wall hard enough to break bones and leave a dent.

Naruto used the distraction provided to rush the thug in butler garb. The man saw him and reacted with astounding speed. But Naruto was not in the mood to play around. He channeled chakra to the bottom of his feet, his form blurred. The man barely had time to even widen his eyes as Naruto appeared before him, jabbing him with a quick, brutal strike to the throat. The man fell onto his back, clutching at his wind pipe as Naruto's attack had cut off the flow. The blond paid the man no more heed, six other guards were charging right at him.

Aerith and Tifa had already left the stairwell and were following Cloud in his wake as he fought against three of the guards. Jumping onto the railway, the coverall wearing female ran across and vaulted off. During her descent, Tifa twisted her body, flipping through the air and landing a heel drop on a surprised thug that Cloud had been fighting. The man was out like a light, and the distraction allowed Cloud to drop one of the other men by smacking him away with his blade.

Several thugs on the ground floor had pulled out guns. Cloud and Tifa were forced to duck when the sound of machine gun fire filled the places their heads had been just seconds prior. Aerith, still unnoticed by the majority of guards, began twirling her stave. She focused on her materia, letting them draw upon her chakra as flames ignited along one end of her weapon. Rushing up to the railing, she swung the stave and released a large blast of fire that exploded in the center of the enemy formation. The destruction it caused not only left a large scorch mark in it's wake, but the few guards that hadn't been killed outright were sent flying into walls and pottery, either killed from the impact or would be killed later by blood loss. It was the first time Aerith had killed a human, and she would have been devastated were she not so resilient. She could cry later, when she was safe in Naruto's arms.

Naruto was keeping pace with the six men that attacked him, using a combination of trickery and tactical positioning so that no more then two thugs could try and hit him without hitting each other. He wove himself around one persons fist, then grabbed the arm that had attempted to jab some kind of electro-rod into him and redirected it towards the outstretched fist. The man who sent the punch pulled back with a hiss. Another thug, this one with a pair of wicked looking claws came in, his left arm outstretched as if in an attempt to slash his face off. Naruto, finishing his maneuvering, feet sliding as he threw the arm of the man holding the rod over his shoulder. There was a loud shout as the man soared through the air. He crashed into the other man, not only sending them both down but destroying the railing as they were sent crashing into the first floor.

Another man tried to come up behind him, but with Naruto's keen spatial awareness the blond was more then capable of jumping back. He spun, lashing out in a reverse heel kick as the man had charged him. It was sidestepped, and the thug continued on, but was unprepared when Naruto used his incredible speed and reflexes to shift onto his other foot and launch a high kick at the mans head. It connected, the head snapping back, breaking. The thug fell onto his back with a dull thud, unmoving.

The sound of a gunshot rang out. Naruto, his senses telling him the bullet was fired at him, tried to move out of the way. He was only partially successful, moving just enough that instead of hitting him in the chest it hit his shoulder. He turned to see the last man he had been fighting had pulled out a gun that was aimed at him. The thug had a smirk on his brutish face. His finger began pulling back on the trigger. As if in slow motion, Naruto watched as the man made to shoot him, only to be clobbered in the head by a metal stave from behind. The man's eyes rolled in the back of his head and he fell face first to the floor, a loud, meaty thud followed by the crack of his head smacking into the wood tiling.

Naruto walked over to Aerith, who was holding her stave and shaking a bit as she looked at the man she had smacked over the head, as Cloud and Tifa cleaned up the other thug. He could see she was holding herself together, barely. He swept the girl into a hug. She didn't resist, encircling her own arms around his torso as her body shivered. Naruto placed a single kiss on her hair.

"How are you feeling?"

"Not good," Aerith admitted. Better then she had been seconds ago now that she was in his comforting embrace, but still not good. "But I know I can't get all emotional right now." She raised her head to look at him and gave a brave smile. "Don't worry about me, I can't wait until we're out of danger to freak out."

Naruto smiled. He had always admired Aerith for her resilience. The young woman had an iron will. He placed a kiss on her forehead and then let go of her. Moving back he looked at Cloud and Tifa as they walked up to him and Aerith.

"We need to find this Corneo guy, get the information your looking for and get out of here. The commotion we just caused is sure to bring Shinra down to see what's going on."

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Naruto kicked the ornate door in, the chakra enhanced attack blowing the entire thing off it's hinges and flying into the room where they crashed against the opposite wall. He strode in, his gaze taking in the scenery, large office with a red rug that had golden embroidery outlining it and green twin dragons entwining each other in the middle. Large golden statues of various animals lined the walls, with a cabinet filled with liquier on his left, a large desk in the center covered in nicknacks of all kinds and an articulate divider behind that made up the room. In short, it was gaudy, expensive, distasteful, and just what Naruto would expect from a man like Don Corneo.<p>

"Who the hell are you people!?"

In the center of the room was a large man, make that a very fat man, his blond hair in an unusual wavy-mo hawkish style where only the center had any hair. On the left side of his head was the tattoo of a heart with an arrow going through it and the words love written above it. His red coat with fur lining looked like it was designed to show off his wealth. Underneath it he wore blue jeans and a white button up shirt with the first several buttons undone to show off an expanse of chest hair.

"Who we are doesn't matter," Naruto replied to the fat man's bluster, his voice cheerful. "What matters is that you have information, and we want it."

"I see..."

Quicker then Naruto expected from such an obese man, Corneo pulled out a gun – a six shooter revolver – out from under his desk. However, as fast as Corneo was, he was nowhere near as fast as Naruto. The blond's hand blurred, a flicking motion as his chakra summoned a shuriken into his hand, which was just as quickly tossed. It hit the gun before a single shot could be fired. The gun was thrown out of Corneo's hand, the man letting out a yelp of surprise. In the time it took for him to finish screaming, Naruto was already there, a kunai in his hand and pressed against the man's throat.

Don Corneo froze, his eyes wide in terror as he began to realize the situation he was in. Naruto gave him a cold smile, pressing the kunai deeper and drawing a bit of blood, just to let the man know he was being serious.

Corneo whimpered.

"Now, Corneo, you'll be answering a few questions for us, won't you?"

Corneo would have nodded, but doing so would have more then likely slit his throat. So he just settled for talking.

"Yes, yes, I'll tell you whatever you want! Just please don't kill me!"

Naruto smiled, people like Corneo were so easy. They talked a big game because they had money, but when it came time to step up to the plate they ended up falling several thousand feet short of the mark. They didn't know what to do when shit hit the fan, and just like right now, where Corneo should have said nothing – because Naruto couldn't kill the man without getting that information – he caved. Granted, Naruto would have ended up torturing him, but that was besides the point.

"Tifa."

"Right."

Tifa visibly took hold of how startled she was by the blond's quick movements. He had acted with more skill and talent then she had ever seen in her life, his reflexes were top notch and his fighting ability was on par with Cloud's. Maybe even better. She was beginning to regret not gathering more information on her friend, they could have used his help in AVALANCHE.

She shook her head, now was not the time for self-recriminations. She stopped besides Naruto, her new arrival catching Corneo's attention. Even in his situation, the man couldn't help but rake his eyes over Tifa's long, athletic legs and large chest. It made her shiver in disgust.

"Your assistant in the Sector 7 slums, what did he find out?"

Corneo gulped.

"...I made him find out where the man with the gun-arm was. But that's what I was ordered to do."

"By Shinra right?" Naruto smiled when he saw the man's eyes widen in surprise and fear. "Who in Shinra ordered you to find this information?"

"I-I can't tell you that!" Corneo squeaked. "If I do I'll be killed!"

"If you don't tell me what I want to know you'll be killed!" Naruto snapped, surprising those around him. Not wanting to waste any time with this man, he sent a burst of killing intent towards the man. Once more the hovering form of the Shinigami, the God of Death, appeared behind the blond as he begun leaking blackish purple energy off his frame. Corneo's eyes widened, pupils dilating as he began to shake uncontrollably. "Now tell us who!?"

"It was Heidegger!" He squeaked.

"The head of public safety and maintenance?"

"The very one!"

"That makes sense." Naruto flicked his eyes over to Tifa. "Heidegger is the one in charge of the Turks, as well as the normal army of Shinra. I also know that sometime in the past few years he gained control over SOLDIER."

Tifa nodded, thankful for the information but also curious on how Naruto knew so much. She turned back to Corneo and glared.

"What is Shinra up to? What are they planning?"

This time, Corneo needed no prompting as he said, "Shinra is trying to crush a small rebel group called AVALANCHE and want to infiltrate their hideout. And their going to crush them... literally. By breaking the supports holding the plate above them."

The news shocked everyone, even Naruto. Breaking the supports on the plate would not only kill the members of AVALANCHE but all of the people in the slums, as well as those on the plate. The death toll would be catastrophic, easily in the thousands. Tifa rocked on her heels in shock.

"Break the supports!?"

You know what's going to happen," Corneo said breathlessly, his wide eyes flickering from Tifa to Naruto every few seconds. "The plate'll go PING and everything's gonna go BAMMM! I heard their hideouts in the Sector 7 Slums. I'm just glad it's not here in Sector 6."

Tifa shook her head, almost as if she didn't believe what she was hearing.

"Their going to wipe out the Sector 7 Slums!?" She turned her attention to Cloud. Naruto kept an eye on Corneo to make sure he didn't try anything. "Cloud, will you come with me to Sector 7?"

Cloud nodded.

"Of course, Tifa."

"We'll come as well," Naruto said, gesturing to him and Aerith who nodded in agreement. Tifa looked surprised.

"You will?"

"I can't in good conscious just stand here while Shinra commits mass murder just to get rid of a few insurgents," Naruto replied, the expression he had once worn during the war coming to his face. It looked like his peaceful life may be well and truly over, but Naruto couldn't just stand by and do nothing. "So I'll help stop them. As for you!" The blond growled at Corneo, who squeaked in terror as the shinobi turned icy eyes on him. "If I even catch a hint of you snooping into our business, I will make it so that you will begging for death by the time I'm done with you!" The man couldn't nod fast enough. Naruto pulled his kunai from Corneo's neck and nodded towards Tifa. The four of them made their way towards the door, only stopping when Corneo spoke up.

"Just a second!"

Cloud glared at the man.

"Shut up!"

"Now wait, it will only take a second." The four paused in spite of themselves. He might have more information they hadn't thought to ask, after all. "How do you think scum like me feels when they babble on about the truth?"

Naruto frowned, there was something in the man's question that set him on edge. Cloud shrugged.

"They're sure they'll win."

Corneo smirked.

"Bingo!"

Naruto realized what was happening just a second too late. Corneo pushed a button hidden on a gold statue of a dragon on his desk. The floor beneath them opened up and Naruto, Cloud, Aerith and Tifa all fell into darkness.

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><p><strong>You should all have noticed the slight AU from the Naruto canon. I have no clue if Naruto actually witnessed bandits capturing women and using them as sex slaves, and I understand that it's a very cliched plot device, but I figured what the hell, might as well use it.<strong>

**I got nothing to say about this chapter. I'm running on borrowed time, namely my works time. So until next time.**

**Pokemaster12 out.**


	13. A3 C13: Bloodshed on the Horizon

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 3: Trouble Arises**

**Chapter 13: Bloodshed on the Horizon**

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><p>Reeve Tuesti was a man who not only had a keen business sense, but a heightened sense of empathy for others. He loved Midgar, not the city of steel and construction, but the people who lived within those metal confines. To him, Midgar was the people living in the city, and as the Head of Urban Development he had a strong sense of duty towards those who lived in the city. It was his job to look after the people, which would explain why he disagreed with President Shinra's plan to destroy the supports for the plate that hung over the Sector Seven Slums.<p>

"How are the preparations going?"

"Gya ha ha ha! They're going very smoothly. I've assigned the Turks to this assignment!"

Running a hand through his slick-backed black hair, Reeve stood within the Presidential suite that housed the President of Shinra Inc. and listened to President Shinra's conversation with Hedeigger on the preparation for the operation to destroy AVALANCHE. His beard and mustache were as tidy as ever, looking as if they had just been trimmed this morning, and his dark blue business suit was crisp, with sharp creases that gave him an air of professionalism.

"Are you sure they can handle it?" President Shinra asked in a voice that expressed his doubt in the Turks abilities to handle this operation quite clearly. The man in the expensive red business suit leaned forward and propped his elbows on the desk, linking his fingers together to form a bridge as he stared at the head of Public Safety and Maintenance. "From what I can gather they've been having quite a bit of trouble with one of the other assignments you've given them."

He was of course, talking about the Turks inability to capture the ancient. Reeve had actually gotten a few chuckles when he had seen the state of some of the Turks after they had come back from that assignment in failure.

"_That_ man will not be involved in this!" Hedeigger growled, his hands clenched into shaking fists, knuckles turning white from a lack of blood flowing through the veins there. He was furious at how the blonde-haired, possible ex-SOLDIER had made a fool of him and his Turks at every turn. Not even deigning to fight like a man, but disguising his movements and pranking his Turks from the shadows. Yet even he could not deny that moral had taken a huge hit every time they failed. Nowadays the Turks were the butt end of nearly every joke within the other departments at Shinra Inc. and it pissed him off something fierce. "This time will be different, I can promise you that."

"Very well then," President Shinra still didn't look confident, but the knowledge that the blond male, Naruto, Reeve believed his name was, would not be involved in this operation seemed to set him at ease. "We shall speak no more of this."

"President," Reeve interrupted, stepping forward to once more present his case on why they shouldn't do this. That was, after all, the sole reason he had come up here during the man's conversation with his war loving subordinate. He needed to stop this plan, this madness, before it could begin. "Are you sure this is a good idea. Dropping the plate to kill an insurgent group with so few members seems extreme."

There was just no reason for it as far as Reeve's was concerned. From the reports he had read, ACALANCHE was estimated to only have a grand total of seven or eight members, and one of them, another ex-SOLDIER, was reported to be dead. The combined population of Sector Seven, both on the plate and under the plate, easily numbered in the thousands. Killing so many people to subdue such a small group was madness.

President Shinra looked at Reeve, a small smirk tugging at his face.

"What's the problem, Reeve? You want out?"

"... No," Reeve said after a moments hesitation. There was nothing he could do if the President had made his decision. If he quit, it may absolve his hands of this, but he would feel even worse then before. He wouldn't run away, and when this disaster hit, he would do what he had to, to help the people – those who survived – recover.

That didn't mean he was just going to allow this to happen without stating his opinion on the matter. Unlike many people who wouldn't dare question the President of the world spanning corporation, Reeve had no such issues. That was, in fact, one of the reasons he had been hired for this job.

"But, as the head of the Urban Development Department, I have been involved in the building and running of Midgar. That's why I..."

"Reeve," Heidegger interrupted the man with a loud belly laugh, earning him a mild glare. "You should just flush those problems away in the morning!"

Reeve grit his teeth.

"The Mayor's against this anyways."

Heidegger shrugged.

"Mayor? He just sits in this building all day feeding his face! You still call that a mayor?

Of course, Reeve knew that the mayor was nothing more then a figurehead. President Shinra was the true power in Midgar. Still, it rankled him that they would just disregard everything he said and continue with these plans. Couldn't they see that what they were doing was just as wrong as what AVALANCHE was doing?

No, of course they couldn't. Heidegger was a man whose only concern was maintaining his rank and creating new weapons, and the President had thrown away whatever morals he possessed years ago. Reeve knew that neither of them cared for the lives they governed, only what could be gained with them.

Heidegger gave President Shinra a salute.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, sir!"

As Reeve watched Heidegger leave, a scowl marring his face, President Shinra looked down at him from where he sat. His expensive red suit rustled slightly as he shifted in his seat and fixed his subordinate with a look of mock concern.

"You're tired, Reeve. Why don't you take a couple of days off and go somewhere nice."

It wasn't a suggestion, that much was clear the moment it was spoken. Reeve clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white. With a stiff nod towards the President he walked out of the office. As President Shinra watched Reeve leave his office, a vicious smirk came to his face. Everything was falling into place.

"We'll destroy Sector 7 and report that AVALANCHE did it. Then we'll send in the rescue crews to help the desperate people... heh heh heh... it will be perfect."

Yes, everything was falling neatly into place. Soon AVALANCHE would be gone, and the people would once again rally under the Shinra banner as they realized that only Shinra could truly protect them. It was the perfect plan.

Feeling very satisfied with himself, President Shinra decided to take a brake. He opened a secret drawer under his desk and pulled out a familiar orange book. Flipping it to the most recently red page a perverted giggle soon escaped his lips as he began to read.

This was gold. Truly a work of heart. He just wished he had been the one to find the author. Who knew how much money Shinra would have made if they were the ones who published it.

Oh well, you couldn't snatch up every opportunity that came your way.

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Naruto ignored the sneeze that escaped his lips as he and his three comrades fell through the tunnel. He would have cursed himself for falling for such a stupid and easily noticed trap, if he weren't busy falling to his possible death that is.<p>

Knowing he needed to act quickly, Naruto began channeling his chakra. A clone appeared right beside him. Already knowing what it's creator wanted, it grabbed Naruto by the arms and swung him around. It disappeared with a puff soon after. Naruto flew through the air, closing the distance between him and Aerith. As he hit her, he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. The girl's already wide eyes widened some more. She turned her pale and frightened face to look at him, relief mixing with her fear as she saw who had grabbed her.

"Naruto!?"

"Hang on!" He shouted, ignoring her surprise. Aerith did as told just as Naruto formed another clone, this one behind him. The clone grabbed his feet and let him kick off – before it too disappeared – allowing Naruto to fall directly towards Tifa, who noticed him. He stretched his hand out, making her follow suit. With grit teeth he managed to latch onto her wrist, and using his immense physical strength, he pulled her to him and wrapped an around her waist similar to Aerith's.

He looked over at Cloud, who noticed his gaze. After giving the man an inquiring look, Cloud shook his head, already having guessed what he was asking. Naruto nodded, and soon began acting to slow his descent. He did this by creating shadow clones underneath him and using them to create what was, in essence, a cushioning effect, jumping from one clone to another. As he would jump off one clone, it would dispel and then he would create another. It was bothersome, his mind was constantly being assaulted by his vision shifting from one to two perspectives with every clone he made and dispelled it was beginning to cause a massive headache. But he persevered through it, knowing that if he did not, then he and his friends could very well die. His plan worked, allowing him to use them to slow his descent fully until he reached the bottom, landing in the dirty water below with a loud splash.

Cloud managed to stop his descent by stabbing his sword into the wall. There was a loud shriek of metal on concrete as his sword dug into the surface of the wall while he continued falling. His fall soon slowed, the screeching becoming lower in pitch. As he neared the bottom, Cloud stopped, just a meter or two above the bottom. Placing both feet on either side of the sword, and after making sure his hands were secure, Cloud yanked the sword out of the wall, kicking off into the air. He flipped in an acrobatic display, landing on the ground several feet from where Naruto, Tifa and Aerith were coughing and hacking up sewer water.

"By the sage, this is disgusting!"

Naruto hacked up god only knew what from his mouth, choking and sputtering as he tried not to vomit. It would have only made the taste in his mouth that much worse.

"I agree," Aerith stated, looking like someone had shoved something unpleasant down her throat. She looked down at her ruined clothes and sighed. "Ugh... this is so gross."

Tifa tried looking on the bright side of things.

"At least we're still alive."

"That's something I guess," Naruto grumbled as he looked at their new surroundings. The place they were now in was a sewer, obviously. Grime covered brick walls with algae and all kinds of fungus growing on them covered every inch of the place. The concrete surface was stained. Metal pipes and ladders were so rusted that the dull lighting couldn't even reflect off them. The entire area held a bleakness that seeped into the bones. The terrible stench didn't help.

"I wonder where we are?" asked Aerith as she too looked around at their new surroundings.

"We're in some kind of sewer," Cloud stated the obvious quite well, shrugging after he had secured his sword to his back. He walked over to them, hopping down into the ankle deep water. The liquid splashed at his heels, ripples spreading across the muddy surface.

"I know that much, captain obvious," Aerith said with a huff. "I mean, where exactly in the sewers?"

"We're definitely still in Sector 6," Naruto answered, a frown on his face. "We fell pretty much straight down so I'd imagine we are still directly below Corneo's mansion." The question he was wondering was about what they should do now. He could probably climb up, but he wouldn't be able to take all three of them, and using clones would drain his chakra far too quickly, especially after having already used that jutsu so many times already. Even if he managed to make it to the top, he would be useless later on.

"Ah," Aerith nodded. She put on a smile as she tried looking at the positive of the situation. "At least the worst is over, right?" A deep, rumbling growl shook the sewer. Several loose bricks were shaken free, falling into the water with a splash. Aerith's smile turned sheepish. "Ok, so maybe not."

"Shit!"

Naruto instinct warned him just seconds before it happened. Acting with chakra enhanced speed he grabbed Aerith and Tifa and jumped away from the tunnel that was blocked off by steel bars. It was just in time too, as a large monster of some kind blew straight through the gate. Cloud managed to jump back, barely managing to avoid getting run over. His sword came out and slashed apart several bars that came to close for comfort. Meanwhile, Naruto landed on a raised walkway and set his two charges down.

"Wow, that is one ugly monster."

The monster in question was large, at least three times the size of a human. It's green skin was scaly, with algae growing over some spots of it's body. It had minotaur like legs, hoofed feet and covered in hair up to it's waist. A long, spiky tail grew from the back, swishing back and forth in anticipation of it's next meal. It was muscular, with two large, almost human-like arms that had chains dangling from it's wrists. Twin horns protruded on it's back, just a little behind the boar like snout. Glowing red eyes and a bull-like muzzle completed the vision of monstrosity.

"What the hell is it!?" shouted Tifa, surprise, shock and a little fear rippling through her. It seemed to hear her voice, because it soon turned to them. Eyes glowing with rage and hunger, it roared at the group and charged them.

"Whatever it is it's coming for us!" Cloud shouted, he held his buster sword in front of him in a two handed grip, his knuckles turning white from how tightly he held the blade. "We need to get ready!"

All three of them were surprised when, with a loud shout, Naruto charged the creature head on. All of them, even Aerith, was shocked to her core at seeing their friend do something so reckless as to charge a beast that was nearly three times his size head on.

The monster roared in challenge, a large fist raising before it proceeded to smash the blond into the ground like a pancake.

Water and rubble was thrown into the air as the force from the creature's fist destroyed the cement underneath. A shock wave spread out from the point of impact, the power of which was enough to buffet the three standing several meters away in a strong breeze. When the intense reaction from the smashing of fist on ground dispersed, it was to see the spiky haired shinobi laying under it with dead, glazed over eyes and blood leaking from his mouth.

"Naruto!?" Aerith shouted, fear and sadness welling up inside of her as she saw her best friend killed. Only for her shock to turn into surprise as the Naruto under the creatures fist disappeared in a puff of smoke and a log took his place.

"Oodoma Rasengan!"

The shout came from above them. Everyone, including the monster, looked up to see Naruto descending from the air, swopping down like some kind of bird of prey. There was a large ball of swirling, destructive energy twice the size of his head in front of him. It smashed into the creature, creating a large explosion that sent it stumbling back and falling onto it's backside, a roar of pain and anger escaping from it's muzzle.

Naruto flew through the air, using the momentum from the explosion to propel himself back down and landed next to his three companions.

"Alright you three, listen up!" Naruto snapped, taking charge of the situation. The blond shinobi's voice had a steel in it that was hard to miss, and his eyes were glowing fiercely within the darkened corridor. This was not the joking Naruto they all knew, but a warrior who had survived through more life and death battles than anyone had a right to. "Cloud, Tifa and I will distract this thing as best we can. Aerith, I noticed when I hit this thing that the explosion did more damage then the actual attack."

"Which means it's weakness is to fire," Cloud finished, already understanding the plan. He was impressed that Naruto could come up with one so fast, even more so that he noticed something like the creatures weakness from just observing something once. His initial estimates on the blond being a skilled fighter may have been even more correct than he had assumed. Cloud's respect for the blond went up.

"Right," Naruto nodded towards Cloud. The creature was now staggering to it's feet, burn marks located all over it's front. It's fierce yellow eyes glared at them and, with a roar, it pounded it's fist against it's chest and charged them. Naruto hurried his orders up so everyone would know what to do before the monster was upon them. "Which means while we distract and weaken it, you hit it with a fire spell."

"What if I miss?"

Naruto took a moment to look Aerith in the eyes, she looked truly frightened, unsure. She was afraid of failing, knowing that if she failed he would die. It brought a smile to his face. It felt good to know that she cared for him so much.

"You won't. I trust you."

And with that, Naruto charged the creature with Cloud and Tifa. The first one to reach it was Cloud, his sword dragging lightly behind him and cutting a small wake through the muddy water, it's metal surface gleaming in the low lighting.

The monster noticed him, a roar escaping it's throat as it swung a fist down on him. Cloud deftly rolled to the side, coming up with a swing that managed to cut into the creature's massive forearm. It wasn't much, the things skin was thick and seemed to be tougher then steel. But it was enough that blood began to gush from the wound, and the monster roared in pain and jerked it's hand back.

Using the distraction Cloud's minor wounding of it provided, Tifa ran forward, a glowing yellow orb of materia in her hand. Lightning began to charge around her fist and with a loud shout, she pounded it into the creature's leg. Blue sparks or lightning coruscated across across the beasts hairy leg, sparsking and flashing. Smoke began pouring from the damaged appendage soon enough, the lightning attack so damaging that it managed to burn off the hair where Tifa had hit it.

The monster let out a loud roar of agony as it was shocked by several thousand volts of electricity. It fell to a knee, the leg Tifa hit having gone numb and incapable of supporting it's weight. It made to swing at Tifa in retaliation for the damage it took, a large hand swiping at her from the left. However, Naruto appeared by her side, lifting her up and jumping above the hand. He soared high into the air, far above the hand that had threatened to turn Tifa into a smear on the ground, and landed a few feet away, earning a grateful nod from a tired Tifa. She had forgotten how much using materia drained her. Naruto gave her a smile before disappearing in a puff of smoke, making her realize it had been one of those strange copies.

The real Naruto was running up the creature's back. Having just avoided it's tail, the blond soon dodged a hand swipe, jumping on the hand and sticking to it with chakra. When the beast tried throwing him off, Naruto just jumped onto it's shoulder, then ran the rest of the way to it's head. As he did so, Naruto was quick to replace his materia with something that would allow him to do some up close damage to the beast.

The creature glared at the small human on it's snout, but that glare was soon cut off and it screamed in rage and agony as the blond shinobi sent a powerful blade of wind straight into it's left eye, blinding it. As the monster tried to crush Naruto with it's left hand, the blond jumped into the air, letting the creature smash it's hand into it's face, which just angered it more.

As the large beast began thrashing around, Naruto landed just a few feet away. Cloud came in again, weaving through the half-blind monsters wild swings. He rolled under a swipe from it's right hand, then jumped over the left. He ran partway up the creatures arm, then kicked off into the air. The ex-SOLDIER soared high above the monster, his sword raised above his head. With a roar he descended, his sword coming down in an attempt to gouge out it's other eye and blind it completely.

However, Cloud had forgotten about the tail and that cost him. The large, spiked appendage smacked into him, not only knocking him through the air but puncturing him in the chest.

"Cloud!" Tifa called out in worry and fear. The ex-SOLDIER soared in an uncontrolled flight through the air. From the way he had not righted himself, it was clear that the man was either in too much pain to move or unconscious. Thankfully, before he could hit anything solid and do more damage to himself, Naruto appeared behind him in a blur of speed. Catching the other blond, he bounced down from the wall to a steel pipe, then flipped onto the ground. Naruto set Cloud on the ground and examined the wound, swearing before he turned to a worried Tifa.

"Tifa! Distract that thing for us as long as possible while I heal Cloud."

He received a worried nod. Tifa, not sure what to do but knowing she needed to keep the beast away from Naruto and Cloud, picked up a rock and tossed it at the monster. It turned to her, bleeding profusely from it's left eye, which was squished shut. With a loud roar that shook the metal pipes running along the walls, it charged straight at her. Tifa began backpedaling very quickly as she tried to keep ahead of the monster. It was difficult, while the creature may be lumbering and hulky, it was much larger than her and therefore, had a much larger stride. Still she did her best, taunting it by throwing rocks into it's face, ducking, dodging and rolling away when it got too close. She could only hope Naruto healed Cloud soon, and that Aerith would hit this thing with her fire spell before it hit her.

"Shousen No Jutsu," Naruto intoned. He pressed his closed left fist against his chest, the hand beginning to glow green. Propping Cloud up with his right hand and knee, Naruto placed the glowing hand against the other blond's chest. The wound – or wounds as there were six holes in the ex-SOLDIER's chest – were deep, but thankfully hadn't punctured anything vital, meaning it would heal up soon enough. Naruto channeled more and more of his healing energy into the wounds, watching as they hissed and steamed. The flesh began knitting back together, the bleeding holes slowly closing until there was nothing left, not even a scar to mark Cloud as having ever gotten the wound.

"You ok?" asked Naruto as he helped the man that was just now coming to onto his feet. Cloud shook his head to clear the cobwebs out of it, before giving Naruto a grateful nod.

"Yeah, thanks I –"

He was interrupted by a scream and both turned to see Tifa getting smacked by one of the creature's large hands.

"Tifa!" Cloud shouted as the woman flew into a brick wall. All the air left Tifa's lungs as she smacked against the wall hard enough to leave a crater. Spider web cracks spread out from the center of her impact. Tifa groaned, her body peeling off and falling to the floor. The large monster was lumbering towards her now, wanting to finish killing one of the pests that had injured it. It raised it's left hand, pausing, a final crescendo of Tifa's death. Then it swung down. Tifa, injured, suffering from loss of breath and a severe concussion could do nothing more then watch on as the beasts hand descended upon her.

She couldn't believe it would end like this. All of that hard work she had gone through to get here, the hardships she had suffered, the trials she had overcome. It had all been for nothing.

_'Cloud.'_ She thought, closing her eyes as a single tear ran down her cheeks.

….

….

….

Seconds passed and when Tifa realized she was not dead she opened her eyes and looked up. A gasp escaped her mouth. Standing in front of her was Cloud, the flat end of his blade stopping the creature's hand from crushing her. He had one hand on the handle and the other on the blade itself, his stance was shifted into a wide one for better stability, the muscles in his arms and legs shaking with exertion. Sweat was beginning to drip off his brow as the task of holding the creature back became infinitely harder. Fortunately the weight lifted a moment later when the monster's hand jerked back, a loud roar of anguish escaping it's mouth.

Naruto had used the time given to him by Cloud's heroic act wisely. Running up the wall and onto the ceiling he had positioned himself directly over the monster. When the beasts hand slammed down onto Cloud, who used the strength of his Mako enhanced body to hold it up, Naruto waited. When the creature began putting more strength in it's effort to crush Cloud and Tifa, Naruto waited. It wasn't until the monster shifted, presenting it's other eye to him that the blond shinobi chose to act. Dropping down head first. His body twisted and flipped, rotating so that he landed feet first on the creature's snouted face.

"Fūton: Rasengan!"

Naruto shoved a wind chakra enhanced Rasengan directly into the monster's other eyes. The powerful jutsu grinding straight through the creature's eye, not bursting the capillaries located there, but slicing them into an uncountable number of pieces, along with most of the left half of it's upper face. The beast roared, it's hand jerking away from Cloud and moving towards it's ruined face. Naruto jumped away just in time to not be crushed as the monster's hand slapped down on the damaged part of it's face. The creature stumbled back, roaring in untold agony, not only completely blinded but badly injured.

"Now Aerith!"

Aerith nodded at the blond's command, closing her eyes as she began spinning her stave. Fire burst forth on the end of her stave, a large, white hot flame that burned with enough intensity to light up the entire sewer. She stopped spinning the weapon, holding it in a two handed grip, the flaming tip pointed down, her feet spread wide apart for balance. She spun the stave around one more time, bringing it behind her before swinging it forward.

A large blast of fire shot through the air, towards the giant monster. A ball of flame that singed the air as it passed, causing heat waves in it's wake. Aerith's aim struck true and crashed against the beasts head, engulfing the entire appendage in a large explosion that rocked the tunnel. A shock wave followed the explosion, nearly knocking every one off their feet. Only Naruto managed to keep his balance, channeling his chakra to the bottom of his feet to keep from falling. Yet even though the young ninja had managed to keep from getting knocked to his rear, even he was forced to shield his eyes due to how tense the explosion was.

When the explosion died down it showed the creature still standing, only without it's head. Due to how the head had been incinerated from it's body, there was no blood, the wound had been cauterized near instantly. The beast lurched, one single foot stepping forward. When it touched the ground the monster's body seemed to finally realize it was dead and collapsed, crashing into the cement surface. Water was kicked up and the earth shook. Cloud and Tifa held onto each other to keep balance, while Naruto stood still with his arms crossed. The quake soon died down, and everyone looked over at the monster, breathing a sigh of relief when they saw it was no longer moving.

As Cloud and Tifa helped each other up, Naruto went over to an exhausted Aerith, who was sitting on the ground with her back against the wall. It was clear to him that she had put all of her energy into that attack. She looked like she was about to pass out, her eyes were droopy and tired, her head lowering every now and then before jerking back up. Naruto knelt down next to her, gently cupping her cheek with his left hand. Aerith leaned into his touch, her green eyes opening blearily to see Naruto's smiling face.

"You were magnificent," Naruto said softly, proudly. Aerith managed a tired smile, too tired to speak. "You saved everyone. Just leave the rest to us and get some rest. I'll wake you when we're out of the sewer."

Aerith nodded before her eyes shut, the woman falling to sleep. Naruto slid an arm under her knees, and another went around her shoulder. He carefully picked her up, cradling the young woman in his arms as her head fell against his shoulder. Naruto smiled softly at the girl before he turned around and made to walk over to the others. He stumbled a bit, wincing as he realized how exhausted he truly was. It had been a long time since he'd used that many jutsu in a single sitting. And as unfortunate as it was for him, he'd never used so many while on Gaia. The extra drain on his reserves had left him near exhaustion as well. As it was, only sheer willpower kept him from passing out. Tifa was eying the sleeping Aerith with what looked like awe as he walked over with the young brunette cradled in his arms. When she met Naruto's eyes, he almost chuckled at seeing how wide they were.

"I had no idea anyone could use magic like that."

"Not many can," Naruto admitted. He looked down at Aerith again, a fond smile on his face. "She's one of the few who can use magic to it's full potential like that. All of her spells are naturally more powerful then others for some reason."

Cloud frowned but didn't comment, instead changing the subject.

"And what about you?" When Naruto looked at him, he elaborated. "What were those spells you used. That ball of energy? Those clones? The transformation? I've never seen anything like those before."

"Nor will you with anyone except me," Naruto commented lightly before turning serious. "My brand of materia is very special in that only I can use them. Aerith has tried several times and been unable to cast any spells with them."

"So their something specific to you?" asked Tifa, curious about the blond's power.

"Mmm." Naruto nodded. "I have several materia that will only work for me, for whatever reason. " He could tell they still had questions, but didn't feel comfortable telling these two the truth yet, thus changed the subject. "Anyways, I don't think now is the time to ask these questions. Right now, we need to hurry up and get out of here, then find a way to Sector 7 so we can alert your friends to Shinra's plan, or in the event that the attack has already started, lend them a helping hand."

Neither Cloud nor Tifa were very satisfied with such little information. At the same time they couldn't deny that Naruto was right. In the end they both agreed, promising themselves to learn more about the mysterious blond and his unique materia when they were out of danger.

The group traveled through the sewers, keeping mostly to the high platform raised above the waters surface. Occasionally they would climb ladders, or walk across wooden beams that would act as bridges. They moved down the long tunnels and paths of the grimy underbelly of Midgar. On and on they walked, keeping a wary eye out for any possible monsters they might run into. Fortunately, it seemed that the large one they had killed had either killed off or scared all of the other threats away. They managed to reach the end of the path before long, a dead end with a ladder leading to the world above.

Naruto shifted Aerith from his arms to his back, making sure her arms were wrapped around his neck while his hands firmly gripped the underside of her thighs. He would need to remove his hands to climb, but thankfully managed to modify the leaf sticking control exercise to ensure that Aerith wouldn't suddenly peel off him and fall to her death.

They climbed up the ladder, Tifa first, followed by Naruto and Cloud taking the rear in case Aerith fell off the other blond's back. At the top of the ladder was an man hole, the entrance was already removed and the artificial sunlight of the Slums filtered in.

Tifa climbed out of the hole, standing up and stretching in relief now that she was no longer under the suffocating oppression of the sewer. Naruto was up next, keeping Aerith secure on his back until he was fully off the ladder and into the open air. He shifted again, somehow managed to reach behind him and catch Aerith in his arms as she began to slide off. As the clinging sound of Cloud ascending the ladder sounded, he walked over to the closest structure he could find and set Aerith down.

"Aerith," he said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder and gently shaking her. "Hey, come on. It's time to wake up."

Aerith stirred under his gently shaking and soothing voice. Opening her eyes, she blinked blearily, seeing nothing more then a blur of black and blond.

"Naruto?"

She rubbed her eyes cutely, removing the sleep so she could see the blond's dirt and grime covered face more clearly. He grinned at her.

"Who else would I be?"

"You could be Cloud," she teased tiredly, causing him to pout. It seemed that not even exhaustion was going to keep her from poking fun at him.

"Well that's not very nice," Naruto commented, affecting a look of mock hurt. "I'm hurt that even after knowing me for so long you feel you could have mistaken me for someone else." Aerith rolled her eyes, giggling. It was clear that she knew he was trying to keep her from thinking about what had happened, and she was rather appreciative of his efforts. Naruto cracked a small smile before looking at there surroundings. Hundreds of trains stretched out across the landscape, rusted and worn from decades of disuse, the train graveyard truly lived up to it's name. The disheveled and filthy locomotives were laying about the ground, twisting and turning like a snake. Large mounds of fallen debris blocked off several areas, making it impossible for anyone to get through without moving a certain way. It was a maze graveyard, and was also the only direction they could go if they wanted to get to Sector Seven. "So this is the infamous Train Graveyard of Sector 7, huh?"

"Have you been here before?" asked Aerith, curiously.

"No," Naruto shook his head. "But I've heard about it. No one comes here because everyone says it's haunted by the spirits of those who died in train accidents."

"Creepy."

"Mmm..." Naruto turned to look at Cloud and Tifa, who were in their own little conversation. "Hey, you two!" When the pair turned to look at him, Naruto continued, saying, "we should probably take a small break before moving on, there's no telling what we might find once we get going."

Cloud nodded in agreement. He knew well that when you were able to get rest, you did. It wouldn't be good if you continued on and exhausted yourself by the time you got to your comrades and were unable to actually help them. Tifa, on the other hand, did not agree with this.

"What? Why?" she asked plaintively. A frown marred her pretty features as she looked at the blond. She placed her hands on her hips and stared at him with one of those looks that all woman seem to possess. "We can't afford to waste our time resting, we need to get to Sector 7! Barret and the others could already be fighting against Shinra!"

"If Barret and the others are already in battle, then it will be finished long before the time we get there," Naruto commented sternly, his tone brooking no argument. "While I don't know much about the Train Graveyard, I can easily estimate that it will take at least an hour just to navigate our way through this maze."

"That's all the more reason we need to move now!"

Naruto shook his head, exasperated, but understanding. This woman may be a powerful fighter, but she was not, nor had she ever been, with any form of military. She didn't understand the intricacies of battle and war like he did. She couldn't.

"And what happens once you get there but are too exhausted to be of any use?" he asked, his glowing blue eyes staring straight into Tifa's whiskey red ones. "Say we head off right now, journey through the Train Graveyard and battle whatever comes our way. We just fought a huge ass monster and some of us were quite injured." He looked pointedly at Cloud and Tifa, neither of whom could hold his intense gaze. "We're injured, we're tired, and even _if _we are able to make it out of the this graveyard, we'll be far to exhausted to actually do anything. We'll be more of a hindrance than a help."

Naruto gazed steadily into Tifa's eyes, boring straight through them with an intensity that belied his inner strength. The Buxom young woman could not hold his gaze, those eyes that glowed so similarly to Clouds bore into her, through her, as if piercing her very being and looking directly into her soul. She felt naked next to those eyes and that intense gaze. As she looked away Naruto shook his head.

"If you want to save your friends and live to fight another day, you need to calm down and learn to think with a clear head." Naruto sighed as he reached into the pouch on his left hip, pulling out a small scroll and unrolling it. "We'll take a fifteen minute break here, get some rest and clean up a bit. I don't know about you guys, but I feel pretty disgusting. I can't even imagine how bad I must smell." The attempt at levity only worked a little, Tifa gave him an awkward smile, clearly still reeling from Naruto's complete breaking down of her mental defenses. Cloud didn't react at all, other then to lean against one of the bust trains. Aerith giggled a little, but she was still too tired to do much.

Tifa sighed, she knew Naruto was right. She knew it, but that didn't make things any easier. Her friends, comrades, people she had known for going on two years now, were in danger. Yet here she was, sitting around relaxing. It just didn't feel right to do rest up when the people she cared about were fighting, and possibly dying at this very moment.

She looked over at Naruto, who had unsealed the contents of the scroll he had unrolled. She would have to ask him about that strange power later. She was surprised to see that the items he had inside this scroll looked like toiletries. There was a bucket of soap water with several rags in it, a toothbrush and tooth taste, dental floss, and some mouth wash. As the blond went about cleaning himself, starting by spreading toothpaste on his brush and sticking it in his mouth to clean his teeth – he was also grumbling about 'damn dirty sewer water' – Tifa walked over to where Aerith was sitting.

The young woman looked up at Tifa when she sank down next to her. She offered the woman a compassionate smile, one that Tifa couldn't help but smile in return upon noticing.

"Try not to be too angry at Naruto." Tifa blinked, then stared at Aerith with a quizzical expression. The other young woman smiled, shrugged, and said, "he might seem harsh at times, but Naruto... he hasn't had the best of lives..." she looked over at the young man, who much to her pleasure had just finished cleaning his mouth and was now wiping the grime from the sewer off his shirtless body. Tifa turned to look as well, and then blushed bright red at seeing the sight of a half naked Naruto. She looked back at Aerith, unable to watch due to her embarrassment. Aerith noticed this out of the corner of her eyes and smiled.

"S-So," Tifa coughed into her hand, stuttering a bit as she tried to get back on track. "Wh-What do you mean when you said Naruto's had a hard life?"

Aerith's amused smile turned into a frown, eyes glazing over in sadness as she thought about how much her friend had suffered. "I don't know all the details, no matter how many times I've bothered him Naruto still refuses to tell me about his past." When Tifa raised a single, manicured eyebrow, Aerith shrugged. "I only know that he was involved in a war of some kind, and that many of his friends had died during it. The few things I know come from his dreams."

She looked back at Naruto, who was talking with Cloud, who had also decided to wash off, shirtless. Aerith shook her head, it really was like looking at twin brothers. Even their body types were the same! Albeit, Naruto was quite a bit taller than his ex-SOLDIER counterpart, but still...

"When Naruto first started living with me and mom, he suffered from a lot of nightmares. I remember several times we would wake up to hear him screaming..."

She trailed off, a few stray tears falling from her eyes as her mind no doubt replayed those events. She brushed them away before they could be noticed and continued.

"I think he was being so harsh with you, because in many ways your actions and desire to keep pushing reminds him of himself," Aerith continued, her voice straining a bit. "And he, from what I know, failed to protect the people he loved."

Tifa sat there, staring at Aerith as she wiped her eyes. She looked away a moment later, feeling as if she was invading in on a private moment. She suddenly felt guilty for snapping at Naruto.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Aerith shook her head. "I doubt Naruto's actually mad at you, and neither am I. He just wants you to understand that rushing into things won't help."

Tifa nodded but didn't say anything. Silence engulfed the two as they were left to their own thoughts. While the two girls were silent, Naruto and Cloud had been trading 'war stories' with each other, which was essentially male bonding over various and hilarious moments and instances that had happened around them while in their respective 'armies'. Naruto had told Cloud about some of the pranks he had pulled, they had been good for a laugh. And while Cloud did not have many stories in the way of pranks, he did have a few good ones to tell about some of the more embarrassing moments his comrades had found themselves in.

When they finished cleaning off the upper half of their bodies with rags, Naruto tossed them away, not wanting to bother cleaning them. He then looked over at the girls and grinned, grabbing two of the rags that were clean and soaking in the soapy water, and tossing them over to the pair. They smacked the girls in the face, causing them to sputter and spit as they pried them the rags off. Naruto laughed, and hearing him, the pair looked over at the blond before growling in unison. Call it female synchronicity.

Aerith was the one who reacted, showing that she had recovered her strength by standing up and marching over to Naruto. The blond grinned at her glare as she came up and tried to smack him with the rag. He dodged deftly from one side to the other, waiting until she raised her hand to catch her by the wrist. As she struggled to dislodge his hand from around her wrist, Naruto chuckled.

"Now, now," he said, smirking at her. "I just thought you might want something to clean yourself up with."

Aerith closed her eyes and turned her head to the side.

"Hmph! If you had wanted to do that you could have just handed it to me."

"True, but then I wouldn't get to see you like this," Naruto chuckled. "You're just to cute when you're all angry like this." Aerith's cheeks turned mildly red, but she kept up her facade of anger. Amused, Naruto shook his head before gently prying to rag out of the young woman's hands. He placed a hand under her chin and turned her to face him. Aerith opened her eyes to look at him, but the blond murmured, "keep your eyes closed," so she quickly closed them again.

She felt the rag on her face softly wiping off the grim and grit that had accumulated there. Naruto's ministrations while cleaning her face were gentle and, were it not for the fact that she would have gotten soap in her mouth, she would have sigh in content. How Naruto could make even the most mundane of actions feel so relaxing and intimate was beyond her. Not that she was going to complain.

"There," Naruto said. Aerith opened her eyes and stared at her blond friend as he gave her a small wink. "Now we can see that beautiful face of yours."

Aerith huffed, her cheeks infused with a lovely shade of pink. Tifa watched as Naruto cleaned off Aerith's face with some measure of consternation. She felt jealous. Why? She didn't know. It wasn't like she had feelings for the blond. Yeah, he was a nice guy and all, and he was certainly an incredible piece of eye candy, but she barely knew him.

In the midst of her thoughts, the young woman's eyes soon strayed, landing on the other blond of their group. Cloud was leaning against the nearest train again, his eyes focused on something beyond her vision. Tifa sighed, looked back at Naruto and Aerith, then grunted before pushing herself to her feet.

"Well, I'm rested enough," Tifa said exuberantly, patting her backside to clear off the dust that must have accumulated there. She looked over at Cloud, frowning when he just gazed at her for a second before nodding and looking back at Naruto and Aerith. She switched her gaze from one blond to another, finding that Naruto was looking at her as well. There was a thoughtful look on his face for a moment, eyes glazed over in thought. However, a few seconds later his eyes cleared up and he gave her a decisive nod.

"What about you, Aerith?" he asked, turning back to the girl in front of him. "You feel up to trekking through the Train Graveyard?"

Aerith smiled brightly, her confident personality once again shining through.

"I think I can handle that."

They soon began to move. Naruto, with a chakra enhanced leap jumped onto the nearest train and looked out beyond everyone else's field of vision, his high viewpoint allowing him to see much more of the Train Graveyard then the others.

"It looks like we'll need to climb over the trains!" He called out, looking back down where the others were waiting. He pointed off in the direction that he believed was the most likely exit. "Most of these trains are stuck together, so if we run along them we should eventually reach Sector 7. At the very least we'll be much closer."

"That sounds like a good idea and all," Cloud started with an irritated look on his face. Naruto wondered what the look was about, when the man continued, answering the question before it could be asked. "But none of us have any kind of super jumping ability like you."

"Ah."

Sometimes Naruto tended to forget that the people of this planet couldn't use their chakra naturally. Even those with large reserves like Cloud and Aerith were incapable of even touching their chakra without the use of materia. The blond shinobi frowned as he thought about this problem. It was easily solvable of course, all he would need to do was find something that they could use as a makeshift ladder. Looking around at the graveyard of trains it took him a moment before finding something that might work.

"Hold on you three, I'll be right back!"

Naruto channeled chakra to the bottom of his feet, using it to increase his speed and jumping power. He rushed towards the other end of the car, jumping off and flying through the air in a wide arch. His feet hit the roof of another car several meters away and he quickly hopped down. The blond inspected the large red and yellow trash can, flipping It upside down and jumping on it to see if it was sturdy enough to hold a person. When he was satisfied, he picked it up, hefted it over his shoulder, and jumped back onto the train.

He had to pick his way around more carefully. Due to the weight and mass distribution of the trash can, jumping several meters would have knocked Naruto off balance, which would have not only resulted in him taking a heavy fall, but also finding himself in an embarrassing situation with the others. Aerith would have been especially bad about teasing him if he had done something as humiliating as having a trash can fall on top of him.

Jumping back over the train that Aerith and the others were behind, Naruto swiftly dropped down next to them and set the trash can on it's head.

"There," Naruto said, clapping his hands together as if to get off imaginary dirt."It won't be high enough for you guys to climb all the way onto the train on your own. But I'll be up on the roof to pull you guys up." He looked at the others to see them staring at him with various expressions of unease as they moved their eyes from him, to the trash can. Pouting a bit, he continued by saying, "I know it doesn't look like much, but it's at least sturdy enough for you all to stand on without much trouble. Cloud might have some problems thanks to that overgrown butter knife of his, but neither of you girls should."

Cloud self-consciously reached a hand over his back and let his fingers rest against his buster blade at his fellow blonds 'overgrown butter knife' comment. So his sword was a little larger then most. Big deal. That didn't give Naruto the right to make fun of it. Grumbling a bit, he watched as the shinobi hopped back onto the train and crouched down before the trash can, making it obvious how this was going to work.

Aerith went first, delicately climbing on top of the red and yellow trash can. She stood up, absently noting how sturdy it felt as it didn't wobble under her feet at all. Looking up Aerith saw Naruto crouched on the roof of the train, his hands outstretched towards her. She reached her own hands out, trying to grab onto his but frowning when they both noticed her reach was just a few centimeters too short. Thankfully, she was able to grasp his hand by standing on her tip toes. Once she did that, her left hand managed to clasp against his right, then Naruto easily hauled her up to the roof of the train with his chakra enhanced strength. He set her down onto her feet, allowing the girl to brush herself off as he turned back to the other two still on the ground.

Tifa was next, much the same as Aerith she too needed to be on her tip toes, being of a short stature like the lighter haired girl. Cloud was the easiest of the group, while not of Naruto's large stature, he was still a good several inches taller then both of the girls. When everyone was on the roof, Naruto pointed over towards the opposite direction they had started in.

"You see the far end of the Train Graveyard over there?" he asked. Everyone followed his gaze, Tifa and Aerith ended up squinting to try and see what he was pointing to. Neither of them could, however, as whatever it was their companion saw was much too far for them to see. Aerith pouted a bit, she wished she had super enhanced eyesight. Cloud was the only one who could see that far, thanks to his Mako enhanced vision.

"That's where the Sector 7 Train station is located." He could see the train in the distance, it wasn't running, but it was in much better shape then the ones that were located in the graveyard. Cloud looked back at Naruto who gave a nod.

"Which means it's our destination."

With their direction set the four companions of circumstance took off, walking across the roof of the interconnecting train cars. The path they had was a bit difficult, many of the cars were broken up, leaving it so they had to jump across. Sometimes they would be forced to find a way to the ground, where they would circumvent an area that was inaccessible to everyone but Naruto. Other times they found a road that had looked clear from up top, but was in fact blocked by fallen debris or a train they couldn't see and they were forced to double back. The biggest problem they had come across was actually when they needed to control several of the trains and move them around in order to create a small chain of train cars they could move across. In spite of all this they made good time and in less the forty-five minutes found themselves out of the Train Graveyard and standing in front of the Sector Seven Train Station.

"Phew..." Aerith wiped some of the sweat that had accumulated on her brow with the back of her right hand. "I'm glad we're out of there. And I thought all the walking Naruto and I did every day was a work out."

Naruto grinned, about to make a joke about how out of shape she was, when Tifa cut in before he and his friend could start bantering.

"We need to hurry up and get to 7th Heaven to see if Barret and the others are alright!"

"Since Aerith and I have already come this far, we'll go with you," Naruto said, getting a nod of assent from Aerith. Tifa smiled at them.

"Thanks."

"Let's go," Cloud said, not in the mood to for idle banter when there was work to be done.

The group began moving again, following the path laid out by trash at a quick trot. As they began getting closer to the Slums proper, the sound of gunfire reached them.

"Do you guys here that?" asked Naruto, looking over at Cloud who gave a serious nod.

"Gun fire."

They ran faster, everything passed by them in a blur until they reached the source of the noise.

The pillar that held the upper plate above the Slums. Far above them the sound of gunfire could be heard. Naruto, Cloud, Aerith and Tifa all looked up. Flashes of light shot off sporadically along the winding staircase, strong bursts of automatic gun fire sounding off in time with the flashes of light. It was clear that the battle between AVALANCHE and Shinra was already underway, though how long it had been going on was hard to tell.

As they continued looking up, they found themselves staring at the top platform where the most flashes of light were coming from. Up there they could see several figures, no more then black specks even to Naruto's eyesight. After a particularly loud flash, signifying some kind of minor explosion, one of the specks fell off the top and fell to the earth below. That figure, which hit the ground with a meaty thud landed several feet away and was someone Cloud and Tifa recognized instantly.

"Wedge!"

Tifa and the others ran over to him. She knelt down, grimacing as she saw how bad of shape he was in. Bleeding from over a dozen wounds along his chest were several dozen bullet holes, the blood pouring out of them was in much more copious amounts then normal, likely from several of his veins being hit. The left side of his body and face was burnt, blackened and cracking, as if that side of his face had been pressed against a blacksmiths forge. The skin running along his left jaw was almost gone, just a few threads hanging loosely together, showing off the inside of his mouth. Considering the damage he had taken, and the fact that he had just fallen nearly twenty or so stories, it was a miracle he was still breathing.

Cloud and the others ignored the group of people that surrounded them, onlookers that had bee watching the battle as if it were some kind of entertainment show.

"Wedge! are you ok?"

Wdege winced a little as he shifted his face towards Cloud, his eyes were beginning to glaze but he seemed to recognize who had spoken.

"Cloud... you... remembered my name." Despite the fact that he was clearly in his last few moments, he seemed to be happy knowing that. He coughed a moment later, choking on the blood that was inside of his throat. Cloud and Tifa started, their worried expressions increase. Wedge looked at them, his eyes gazing mostly at Cloud. "Barret, he's up top... you have to help him." He looked away. "An' Cloud... sorry I wasn't any help..."

With just those parting words Wedge's strength gave out, his breathing ceased, eyes completely glazed over as he died. Cloud tore his gaze away from Wedge, looking down at the ground, his teeth grit. Tifa had tears streaming out of her eyes and down her pretty face. Naruto noticed the two were trying to cope and gave them a moment to themselves.

He focused on Aerith who was staring at Wedge's dead body with a horror stricken face. It was the first time she had seen someone die, really seen them died, not just watched the fast paced blur of combat, but watched as the life left there eyes. He couldn't really count the deaths at Don Corneo's mansion since they had been far too preoccupied to truly pay attention to the deaths they had caused, and for it to be such a gruesome death was no doubt going to effect her.

Placing his hands on Aerith's shoulders, he turned the girl around. She seemed to already know what he planned on doing, because before he could actually do it, she buried hers face into his chest. Her arms came around his torso in a tight embrace, squeezing much harder then necessary as if the added emotion of seeing someone die made her afraid that he might do so as well. He hugged her back, arms enfolding over the girls much smaller frame and began slowly rocking back and forth. Right now, it was the only comfort he could offer.

"I'm going up top!"

The moment in which time had seemed to slow for the small group mourning their friend, or in Aerith and Naruto's case comforting each other while the two AVALANCHE members mourned, broke. Tifa stood up, wiping tears from her eyes as she looked at Cloud, whose imperious glare was set on the pillar. Naruto and Aerith broke apart, the small moment they had now over.

"I'll go as well," Naruto declared. Cloud, Tifa, and even Aerith looked at him. He grinned and winked. "You think I'd let you go into that shit storm on your own."

Cloud nodded and surprised everyone by giving him a grateful smile.

"I'll be counting on you."

They both nodded towards each other, seemingly understanding exactly what the other was thinking via stint of being warriors... or being blond, it was hard to tell some times. A moment later Cloud nodded towards Naruto and looked at Aerith.

"Can you look after Wedge?"

Aerith looked at them in surprise. Her eyes moved to Naruto, biting her lower lip as she looked at him. It was obvious that she wanted to go with him, despite the danger they would likely be facing. Fortunately Tifa seemed to realize what was happening, along with what Cloud was trying to do.

"Aerith, could you do me a favor?" she asked. When the young woman turned to her, she said, "there's a little girl named Marlene at my bar, 7th Heaven. Could you find her and take her somewhere safe?"

Looking from Naruto to Tifa, Aerith took a moment to respond. She was warring with herself. A part of her clearly wanted to go with Naruto and the others. Equally clear was that Naruto did not want her to, which had been the reason for Cloud's suggestion. She would have argued if Tifa hadn't asked her this favor, but since she had, and this Marlene girl was clearly important to her friend she agreed.

Giving the other woman a nod, she said, "don't worry. I'll put her somewhere safe."

"Right, in that case..."

Naruto quickly dug his hand into his arm, surprising Tifa who had not actually seen him do it, and pulled out his materia. Quicker then the eye could blink, he replaced his wind jutsu materia with his neutral jutsu materia.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." A clone appeared before them. It looked at Naruto, nodding, then walked over to Aerith. "This clone will protect you and Marlene from possible threats." Aerith nodded and as she looked into Naruto's eyes, the blond tried to convey his feelings to her through them. "Still, promise me you'll be careful."

Aerith smiled.

"I promise."

With the exchange over, Tifa made to address everyone around the pillar.

"Everyone! It's too dangerous to stay here! You all need to get out of Sector 7 as quickly as you can!"

They seemed to heed her words, for the most part. A few people didn't leave, and ended up staying near the pillar, but Tifa and the others had no time to convince them that staying was a bad idea. Aerith and Naruto exchanged one last good bye, silently communicating with their eyes before they turned away from each other and ran towards their respective objectives.

They had traveled through the belly of the beast, but it was clear to all of them that their battle was far from over.

The real battle had only just begun.

* * *

><p><strong>I know, another cliff hanger. I had actually been planning on combining this chapter with my next one, but when I hit the 20,000 word count mark without stopping, I realized that my chapter was getting a bit too large. This also seemed like the perfect spot to end this chapter, and the next one will mark the end of Arc III. <strong>

**Hope you all enjoyed this, and for those of you that didn't, eh, can't please them all.**

**Pokemaster12 out.**


	14. A3 C14: The End of AVALANCHE

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 3: Trouble Arises**

**Chapter 14: The End of AVALANCHE**

* * *

><p>Cloud was by the fence in an instant, his massive buster blade swinging forward and tearing through the steel wire like it was paper. He rushed forward, through the fence and towards the stairs as quickly as he could. Time was of the essence.<p>

Tifa and Naruto were right beside him, moving, racing as they came upon the steps and ran up them. The corpses of Shinra soldiers were scattered throughout, littering the ground and stairway, the glass on their helmets often shattered, their faces concealed in shadows. Every so often, Cloud looked up through the gaps between stairs, catching a glimpse of Barret, enraged, firing into the darkness around him. They had to get up there.

The stairs were became a blur, his body focused on running up them as fast as possible. Then he skidded to a stop, grasping the rails at both sides. Tifa smacked up against his arm. For a moment, she looked confused about why he had stopped. Not that he could blame her, they couldn't afford to stop if they wanted to reach Barret before he was killed. Then she looked beyond Cloud and saw what had caused him to stop. She let out a pained gasp as she was what, or more specifically who lay before them.

Biggs leaned over the side of the railing before them, his back covered with circular holes. The bullet wounds leaked blood down his front. Cloud moved forward, gently grasping him with Tifa at his side, picking him up off the rail and laying him to the ground at their feet. As Tifa desperately checked for a pulse, Cloud gazed down at Biggs, watching for any sign of life. Naruto stayed where he was, he didn't know this man, but it was clear that his two companions did, and it wasn't his place to interrupt whatever was going to happen between them.

Suddenly, Biggs' blackened eyes popped open, staring straight at Cloud. Cloud touched Tifa's side, to let her know that Biggs was still alive. Biggs spoke slowly, his voice piercing the din from gunfire above.

"Cloud... so you don't care... what happens... to the planet?"

The man struggled to laugh, but coughed up blood instead. It was quite obvious that he was in a lot of pain, though it looked to be numbing as his life began to leave him. Tifa stroked his hair back, removing Biggs' red bandana. She placed it gently on the floor of the stairs behind her. Biggs looked up at her gratefully.

"You'll be all right, Biggs." Cloud said.

Biggs' lips rose into a sardonic smile.

"Thanks, Cloud."

He pushed Tifa's hands away.

"Don't worry 'bout me... Go help Barret... I'll wait down here for you..."

Together, Cloud and Tifa stood and looked down at Biggs one last time. With a final wink, Biggs closed his eyes. He did not stir again. Tifa whirled abruptly, moving to lean against the rail nearby with a sob. Cloud grasped her shoulder and brought her back up. For a moment they just stood there, the ex-SOLDIER supporting his currently emotionally fragile friend.

Naruto sighed as he watched on, he had stayed back to give his friends some peace, but they couldn't afford to stop now.

"I know this hard, Tifa," he said as Cloud tried steadying the beautiful young woman whose face was marred in tears. Naruto tried not to let on how much it bothered him to see his friend cry like that, it reminded him far too much of the looks he had seen on the face of his friends back in the Elemental Nations whenever they lost their loved ones. "But we need to hurry, if we don't your other friends may very well die too."

Tifa looked at him for several seconds, before nodding her head. She knew he was right, that much was clear, so even though she was feeling a good deal of emotional distress, the young woman did her best to shove it aside so they could focus on the task at hand. Namely getting to the top of the tower so they could help Barret.

Soon they soon began moving up the stairs once more. Cloud stayed just behind Tifa, an added precaution in case she needed him. Naruto, after checking the pulse of the now dead Biggs to see if there really was nothing he could do, hurried up after them.

A whirring, chopping sound filled the air as they continued to climb the stairwell. Tifa cast a quick glance to one side. A dark black helicopter approached, cutting through the black air, climbing up towards the top of the pillar. Gritting her teeth, she redoubled her effort, trying desperately to go faster. They had to get up to the top before Barret was overwhelmed. As they reached the final flight of stairs, right before the top, they stopped in their tracks once more.

Jessie lay before them, unmoving.

Tifa hit the railing by her with her fist, in as much rage as anguish. Were they all doomed to die this night? She couldn't handle it. She looked away, out over Sector Seven, her eyes filled with tears. Everything seemed to be falling apart around her, first Wedge, then Biggs, and now it looked like Jessie had been taken from her. It was clear she was teetering on the edge of despair, and only needed one good push to be sent over it.

She turned back in time to see Cloud kneel beside their fallen friend. His hand cupped the woman's cheek as he took in the extent of her devastating injuries. They weren't as bad as the damage Biggs or Wedge had received, but they were still horribly extensive as far as he could see. Granted, he had no real talent for healing, but he at least knew the basics. Everything his limited knowledge was telling him about the woman's wounds were not good, not in the least.

Jessie stirred, her eyes opening just a crack. They blinked several times, a light film was over them, making the objects around her blurry. Still, she would recognize that spiky mop of blond anywhere.

"… Cloud..."

Cloud stroked her hair, seemingly unsure what else to do. Jessie struggled to speak, trying vainly to cope with the pain.

"… I'm glad... I could talk with you... one last time."

Her fingers reached out, as if searching for something. Cloud grasped her hand tightly, squeezing and reassuring. Jessie gave a soft smile. The ex-SOLDIER looked down, his face masked in shadow.

"I'm sorry, Jessie."

"Ha... cool... as usual... ex-SOLDIER..."

She rubbed the back of his hand softly with one bloodied thumb.

"I always liked that... in you..."

Her hand went limp in his and she said no more.

Without warning, Tifa sprinted past Cloud and Jessie's body, shooting up the stairs three at a time. It was very likely that she could no longer stand the sight of her friends dying, that, lost in her grief, she was trying to cope with the pain by moving as quickly as she could. She was trying to outrace her pain, as it were. Cloud reached out to stop as she passed by, touching only a fluttering piece of her black skirt as it shot past.

"Tifa! Hold on!"

Naruto watched his two allies run up the steps, one chasing after the other. While Cloud would be fine, it was clear that Tifa was beginning to feel the strain of her loss. Was this the first time she had witnessed the death of a comrade? Probably, and it likely didn't help matters that she had witnessed the death of more than one of her friends. It was unfortunate, but there was nothing he or Cloud could really do for her right now. Not until the current situation was resolved. Not until they were safe.

Still, even if he couldn't help Tifa right away, there may be something he could do. With a frown the whiskered shinobi moved towards the woman lying on the stairwell. He knelt down and checked her injuries, two bullet holes in the shoulder, one in the right side of her chest, it was higher up, more near her clavicle so it likely hadn't hit anything vital. There was another wound in her leg on the left thigh, and one in her stomach a few inches above her belly button. He reached out a hand, turning her head and pressing two fingers to the side of her neck.

….

….

bum bump.

There it was. A heart beat.

….

….

….

bum bump.

It was slow, and getting slower still, but there was a heartbeat. Acting with a speed and efficiency that had earned him the praise of his comrades and the envy of his enemies back when he lived in the Elemental Nations, Naruto got to work.

His left moved, blurring into his pouch where he summoned two orbs of materia that he set down on Jessie's stomach. He pulled his neutral materia out of his arm, thankful that the clone he had protecting Aerith was already a separate entity, and therefore not liable to dispel from him pulling out the materia. A small bit of knowledge he had found out during the time he'd begun experimenting with his materia jutsu.

His right hand moved into his other pouch, and summoned more items. Naruto pulled them out and set them down, bandages, cleaning wipes, blood pills. He grabbed onto the first materia he would need, a steely grey materia with hints of yellow, small flecks of lightning seemed to move inside of it, roving back and forth across the orb. The blond shinobi placed the orb inside of his forearm, then placed his hand just a few inches above the woman's solar plexus.

"Jikiton: Gyaku Kyokusei."

The jutsu, Jikiton: Gyaku Kyokusei, or Magnetic Release: Reverse Polarity, was one of Naruto's many creations. With this jutsu he had the ability to create a magnetic field and control the magnetic polarity of any metal objects. With this jutsu, and depending upon his will, he could cause kunai that had been tossed at him to reverse direction, change directions randomly, and even move it through the air in any way he desired.

In this case, his desire was pulling out the bullets from Jessie's body.

It was quick, happening in less then an instant. One second the bullets were still inside of the young woman, the next they were hovering just an inch below Naruto's hand. The blond made a flicking motion, his control over the magnetic forces sending the bullets sailing. Without wasting even a second, Naruto switched out materia. The one one with his control over magnetism returning to it's place inside of the storage seal in his pouch, while the other one, a light green orb that glowed with an inner fire went into his arm. This would be the hard part, he needed to act quickly before she bled to death.

"Shousen No Jutsu."

Bringing his hand to his chest, a green, fiery glow, overtook it. He brought the now glowing hand to Jessie's most grievous of injuries, the ones on her chest and stomach. The wounds began healing up quickly, Naruto was pumping much more chakra then needed into the technique, and thanks to the materia doing the work of converting his chakra into medical chakra, he didn't actually need to worry about control. It would drain his reserves much more, but medical ninjutsu, despite being some of the hardest to cast, were also the least chakra intensive. So he figured he would be fine.

Hopefully.

It wasn't more then a second or two that her wounds were completely healed up, and like always it was fascinating to watch as the wounds hissed and steamed, flesh stitched together seemingly on it's own and the small wounds closed up as if they had never existed in the first place. After he had finished with her chest and stomach wound, he healed her shoulder, then her leg. He then decided to check her for any more injuries she might have sustained that he just couldn't see.

Lifting the upper half of her body, Naruto stuck out his knee and let her rest against it while he searched for more wounds. He found one, a knife wound on her lower back, just a little off to the side of her spinal column. She had been lucky with this one. Had it been a few centimeters further she would have been crippled. He placed his glowing hand over the bleeding slit on her back, watching as the wound melted away and new, healthy pink flesh appeared.

When all was said and done, her wounds finally healed, Naruto made to grab the cleaning wipes so he could dress her wounds. His hand stopped just before he reached it. He shook his head, then went to grab the blood pills. There would be time to dress her wounds later, right now he needed to make sure she didn't die from having lost so much blood.

He checked her pulse again, just to ensure it was still there. It was, but much weaker than it had been before. That was bad, her pulse had already been quite slow and weak. He would need to act fast. That meant he needed to proceed to the next step he was taught in field medic healing.

When Naruto was younger he had never truly respected the profession of medical ninja. It had been arrogance on his part, but he had always been of the belief that because they didn't fight on the front lines, they must be cowards. It hadn't been until the Fourth Great Ninja War that his beliefs had truly changed. While he may have respected Tsunade and Sakura for their ridiculous, mountain destroying strength, it had been during the war when he saw how hard the medical squads truly worked to save lives that his respect for medical ninja truly came into being.

It had also been during the war that Naruto had decided to learn medical jutsu himself. Because maybe if he had known medical jutsu, then _she _wouldn't have died. It was his way of making sure that his mistakes could never be repeated.

This was, thankfully, the easiest and least mind intensive step when it came to field healing. He needed to somehow get Jessie to take the blood pills, essentially it was a pill that when swallowed sped up the formation and increase of blood in the body. Ninja used them when they had lost too much blood and were on the verge of passing out from blood loss, but needed to keep fighting. Naruto had never needed them himself, with Kurama his body produced more blood naturally then he knew what to do with. Tsunade had even begun draining some of it in the hopes it would be infused with the healing properties of Kyuubi's chakra. It hadn't, of course, but at least she had tried.

Naruto sighed as he propped up the unconscious girl. Unfortunately there didn't seem many ways he could get her to ingest the pills like this, and as unfortunate as it was, he couldn't wake her with the small static shock jutsu that was used to normally restart the heart as that might kill her due to how weak she currently was, which would make all this effort to save her kind of pointless, and as much as it sucked he had no sniffing salts on him. Which left only one option.

"I am so glad Aerith is not here," he muttered before popping three blood pills in his mouth and began chewing on them. He nearly spat them out almost immediately, the things really did taste putrid. He had heard the stories, but had not quite believed them until now. They tasted like a mixture of blood and some kind of gunk he couldn't identify. They were almost as bad as those energy balls Sakura had made for him during his wind elemental training. Despite this, Naruto continued to chew, grinding the pills until they were nothing more then a thick paste. He made sure Jessie was secure, propped up against his knee. With his left hand, he lifted her head and opened her mouth, then placed his over hers.

The term 'kiss of life' is often used to describe CPR. In many cases, what Naruto was doing could also be described as that. As Naruto held his mouth against Jessie, his tongue was slowly pushing the pasted blood pills into her mouth and down her throat. The woman would have choked, were it not for Naruto's hand gently messaging her throat to make the gunky paste go down more smoothly. There was a bit of a problem when Naruto found out she was breathing out the mouth because her nose was clogged up with blood, she had almost choked to death due to that. Thankfully a small application of chakra cleared that up and allowed for him to continue mouth-feeding her blood replenishment pills unabated.

When all of the paste had been swallowed by Jessie, he removed his mouth, placed the hand that had been messaging her throat under her knees and picked her up. He carried her to the small corner junction where he could lay her down properly. Naruto then pulled out a storage scroll from his right pouch and unrolled it. The scroll was different, it was larger then the average storage scroll and had a lot more kanji involved. That was because it was one Naruto had created specifically for human transportation, the extra seals were designed to keep the people inside completely frozen in time and unaware of where they were. It was designed that way because people tended to lose their minds when aware of the claustrophobic surroundings and pitch blackness of being in a pocket space.

Picking up Jessie again and placing her on the scroll, Naruto channeled a small amount of chakra and with a puff of smoke, she was gone. Rolling up the scroll and placing it inside of another storage seal in his right pouch, Naruto stood up, fighting the sudden wave of dizziness that came from using so many jutsu in just a few hours time of each other. He still hadn't fully recovered from the fight against that large monster in the sewers, and now he was using medical ninjutsu. Talk about bad luck. Shaking his head to the blond dispelled such thoughts. There was no time to be thinking like that, he had to help the others.

He rushed the rest of the way up the stairs, leaping them four at a time in his hurry to help the others. It wasn't long before he reached the top, barely a minute had past in fact. Atop the pillar was a large circular platform, surrounding a control panel that blinked with green text. Next to the console was a dark red button. On the grating directly under the button, a dead Shinra soldier lay, his back covered with bullet wounds. Naruto paused, just for a moment, in order to survey the scene around him.

The big man that Naruto figured must be Barret was fighting off three Shinra soldiers. His large gun-arm seemed to be running on empty because he was fighting them by hand, not a smart move when they were holding stun batons, but he seemed to be doing alright. The man was using his immense strength and larger form to keep them at bay, ramming into the few who tried to get to close. They would dodge, of course, the man was pretty slow. When he moved past them they would hit him with their stun batons. However, that really only seemed to enrage the man further as he would let out a loud bellow and charge them again.

Tifa also seemed to be fighting against several Shinra soldiers, two of them. She was doing pretty well considering she was outnumbered two-to-one. Her style, a straight forward fighting style that reminded Naruto of muay thai kick boxing only much more fluid and speedy, was allowing her to keep pace with the two.

As he continued to watch her, one of the soldier's she was fighting stepped in and made to smack her across the face with his stun baton. It was a poor move in Naruto's estimation, as all Tifa had to do was lean back to avoid it.

Surprisingly, that was not what she did, but like the skilled fighter she obviously was, her intent was just as good.

Rather than take a step back to avoid the swing, Tifa moved forward. This not only had the effect of negating the attack due to the batons extended reach being to long to actually hit her, it also ensured that Tifa was firmly within the soldier's guard.

Tifa raised her left arm in guard, and the arm that had been swinging the baton was blocked by her forearm at the wrist. Before the guard could realize his attempt at beating the woman with his stun baton, Tifa was already moving to finish her maneuver. Twisting her wrist, her left hand rotated until she was able to firmly grasp the guard's arm in her now unclenched hand. Without wasting a second, she yanked on the arm now firmly in her grasp, the end results of which was the man she was fighting stumbling into her knee. The loud 'ooph!' sound as all the air shot from the guards lungs as he doubled over, was proceeded by the incredibly loud 'thunking' noise as Tifa's knee was driven into his stomach. Her maneuver done, the femme of AVALANCHE let go of the man's wrist, and made to finish the guard off as he stumbled backwards.

Unfortunately, before she could actually do so, the other guard came in with his stun baton. Coming in with reckless swings, Tifa was nontheless forced to backpedal lest she get hit by the man's overly zealous and amateurish attempts. Despite the lack of skill or coordination in the attack, it did it's job, forcing Tifa to back off in order to let the man who had gotten the wind knocked out of him recover. Settling herself into a defensive stance, Tifa opted to wait and see what her enemies would do before deciding on her own course of action.

Just a little ways over from where Tifa's battle was taking place, Naruto noticed Cloud had just finished the last of his opponents handily, proving that he was indeed a powerful warrior. The man caught his gaze, holding it for a second before going to help Tifa. With his decision made, Naruto decided to help out the big man. He rushed over to where Barret was just getting ready to charge one of the soldiers. The large black man didn't see the soldier behind him, however, he did hear the zapping sound of the stun baton. Barret turned around, shock in his eyes as the weapon began descending. Before it could reach him, Naruto jumped into the air, his body spinning in a corkscrew.

"Konoha Senpuu!"

Naruto snapped a spinning high kick at the man, who couldn't even react in time to dodge it. The man's head snapped back with bone cracking force. He was already dead, however Naruto continued his move, his body rotating and launched a powerful blow to the soldier's stomach. The dead man in armor was sent flying, his body crashing against the railing before hurtling over it. As Naruto landed on his feet, Barret seemed to get over his shock and stared at the new guy.

"Who the hell are you!? Another spiky-headed bastard!?"

"I don't think it's polite to insult the guy who saved your ass," Naruto said, moving passed the growling man. "And now is not the time to be asking such questions."

Barret growled, but realized Naruto was right. He would ask his questions about this new guy later. As the blond rushed his other two opponents, Barret used that time to finally reload his gun-arm with ammo. Pulling an ammo cartridge from his large pockets, he snapped it in place. His gun-barrels spun as the bullets were loaded and set. He brought his arm around towards the two soldiers he had been fighting. Naruto was taking them both on at the moment, since the guy seemed like an ally he wouldn't blow a hole through him and wait until an opportunity to fire on one of the fools that tried to kill him with those dinky little rods presented itself.

That moment came when Naruto killed one of the soldiers. The man had rushed the blond, the stun baton swinging for the shinobi's head. Naruto leaned his head back, just allowing the baton to move centimeters past his skin. His leg shot out, catching the man in the floating ribs. There was a loud cracking noise as the bones broke under the assault from Naruto's foot, and the man stumbled back, pressing a hand to his now broken ribs as blood began dribbling from his mouth due to the internal damage the blond shinobi's blow had caused.

With one enemy currently out of the way, the whisker marked ninja could not deal with the one coming in from behind him. The guard in question had moved towards him with silent steps, well, silent enough that most people probably wouldn't have heard a sound. For a shinobi like Naruto, such movements weren't nearly quiet enough.

The blue garbed assailant lifted his baton in preparation to blast Naruto upside the head with it, but before the man could even think of smacking him around with his weapon, Naruto spun on a dime.

He rotated, spinning on the balls of his feet seconds before the soldier made a swipe at him. The spin took Naruto out of the man's attack, to his left, where the blond proceeded to grab the man's arm, then ram his knee into the elbow joint.

The loud, resounding and sickening crack of the man's arm breaking rang throughout the platform. A scream of agony tore it's way out of the soldier's throat as his arm bent at an angle that should be impossible for humans to accomplish. The stun baton dropped from the soldier's dangling and useless limb. With his enemy now incapable of defending himself, Naruto came in. The man, too busy screaming, didn't even notice until it was too late. By the time the soldier's eyes caught sight of Naruto, the blond was already swinging. His hand lashed out, his fist struck the soldier, his knuckles compressing against the man's throat in a quick punch that crushed the windpipe.

Panic set in on the man as he began to choke, his eyes widened and the only hand he had still capable of movement rose to his throat. At the same time the soldier fell backwards with a jerk, hitting the ground with a thud as his face began turning blue. He scratched and pawed at his throat, but nothing he could do would change the facts. He was going to die.

The soldier Naruto had kicked in the chest had since recovered slightly, enough to move even if he had a broken rib. Seeing his comrade choking to death, the soldier's eyes boiled with rage. A loud shout ripped from his mouth as he ran towards the blond, heedless of how it aggravated his injury further, murder in his gaze. He raised his stun baton, poised to strike.

He never even got within a foot of Naruto.

Before the man could get even close to the blond so he could avenge his comrades death, Barret had shot off a barrage of bullets, hitting the soldier flush in the face. The man's helmet and armor became dented, more bullets riddled it and it soon flew off his head. Blood splattered across the ground as the soldiers face became so riddled in bullets that his face could hardly even be considered human. The solder fell to the ground with a meaty thud, his weapon rolling out of his slackened grip.

"Nice shooting," Naruto complimented the man who, for some reason was breathing very heavily after firing off a concentrated blast of led into someone, likely from the adrenaline rushing through his system. Barret glared at him, and Naruto got the feeling this was just how he looked normally.

"I'd ask who the hell you are, but we don't have time! Cloud! Tifa!" Barret shouted, catching the attention of the other two as they walked up to him. "Get ready, there'll be more comin'! They're attackin' from that damn helicopter!"

Barret snapped a new ammo cartridge into his gun-arm, then took aim, firing at the helicopter as it came towards them. The sound of gun fire filled the air, sparks danced off the metal hull of the chopper, creating an erratic staccato beat that seemed somehow apt for the situation. The helicopter descended to a safer altitude, just barely visible in between the grating as it moved underneath the stairwell. As Barret reloaded, the helicopter flew above the platform, a rope ladder descending from the entrance. Naruto took a deep breath, flicking his wrists and summoning a pair of kunai into his hands. Cloud readied his sword, standing side-by-side with Naruto and making for an unusual contrast that looked odd given their similarities. Tifa's shout could just barely be heard above the din.

"Here they come!"

A man with red hair and a black suit jumped from the helicopter. Naruto recognized him instantly. Reno landed on his feet, bending his knees and rolling across the floor to absorb the shock of impact before smoothly getting back up. This would have been his moment, where he came in looking bad ass, pressed the button that would destroy the plate before his enemies could get to him. He would taunt them, waiting until pick up arrived and then leave them to their fate.

It was too bad for him he hadn't accounted for the fact that Naruto Uzumaki was there.

As the man came back to his feet, a smirk on his face, it soon turned to a look of wide eyed shock as a kunai headed right for his left eye. Reno was just barely able to dodge the attack, twisting his body to the left and jumping back. With a flick of his wrist, the electro-mag rod came snapped into a ready position, sparking blue with electricity. He raised his arm to defend himself from the incoming blow, expecting whoever was attacking him to get shocked. That didn't happen, instead a sheen of green wind picked up around the blade that met his weapon and negated the electricity.

Reno found himself staring into glowing blue eyes.

"You again!" He shouted, jumping back in surprise and anger. His face became a rictus of emotions as the red head glared at the blond man. "Why the hell do you keep interfering in our business!?"

Naruto shrugged.

"Maybe I just don't like you."

And with that, he attacked.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Aerith's feet carried her quickly through the streets of the Sector Seven Slums, Naruto's clone following behind her, keeping as much to the shadows as possible and acting as a rear guard. She moved as quickly as possible through the throng of people, all of whom were watching the distant scene on the pillar, seen only as flashes of light and a speck floating in the distance that was the helicopter. She reached Seventh Heaven soon enough, bursting through the door to find that it was empty.<p>

"Marlene!" She shouted, searching for the little girl she was supposed to find. The sound of running footsteps came down the stairs. Aerith turned her head, watching as a girl that could only be Marlene peaked out from behind the wall that hid the staircase. Aerith gave the girl a gently smile. "Are you Marlene?"

The girl nodded.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Aerith." She placed a hand to her chest. "Tifa sent me to come and get you. She wants us to get out of Sector 7 due to the trouble that's happening at the pillar."

"Tifa sent you?"

"That's right."

It took a few seconds, the girl was obviously thinking, possibly wondering if she could trust this women. Then she remembered the name the beautiful brunette had given her. Her eyes widened and her personality took a one-hundred and eighty degree turn and she rushed towards the woman.

"You're Aerith!? _The _Aerith?"

"Um..." Aerith blinked, taken aback by the sudden change in demeanor. The girl's eyes, once wide and frightened, were now staring at her with awe and, strangely enough, a little envy. It looked like the girl had forgotten that her family was currently fighting a conglomerate organization hell bent on destroying the support pillar. "My name is Aerith... I don't know if I'm _the_ Aerith though."

"But you're the one Naruto keeps telling me about, aren't you?"

Aerith's expression of surprised didn't change much, beyond becoming even more surprised.

"Naruto's told you about me?"

"Uh huh!" Marlene nodded her head emphatically. She looked excited to be finally meeting _the _Aerith that Naruto apparently talked about so much. "Whenever Naruto comes in here he talks about you!"

As a knee-jerk reaction, Aerith's first response was to begin asking questions. What did Naruto say about her? Was it good or bad? Did Marlene know what Naruto thought about her? And so on. However, she was forced to shunt aside such thoughts for now, there would be time for that later. Aerith promised herself that when they were safe she would begin asking all the questions she could on just what Naruto said about her to the little girl.

But right now, they needed to leave. She looked down at the girl and offered her a smile.

"Why don't you tell me all about what Naruto's been telling you about me while we head somewhere safe?"

"Because of the bad men daddy's fighting, right?"

Aerith didn't know who 'daddy' was, but was able to realize that he was likely one of the people Naruto and the others were going to help. She nodded.

"That's right. Tifa wants me to take you somewhere safe so the bad men can't find you and use you against daddy." She did her best to say, in the nicest way possible, that they were leaving so Shinra couldn't use her as a hostage. Marlene, thankfully, seemed to understand what Aerith was telling her, if the widening of the little girls eyes were any indication.

"Ok. Where are we going?"

"We're going to my mom's house," Aerith said as she held out her hand. The little girl didn't even hesitate to take it and Aerith stood up and began walking outside. "That's where we'll meet your daddy, Tifa, Cloud and Naruto."

"Naruto's fighting the bad guys too?" asked Marlene, wide eyed.

"That's right," Aerith said with a smile. "And they won't stand a chance. Naruto's the strongest person I know."

"Wow!"

They soon left Seventh Heaven. Once outside, Aerith began a light jog that the little girl could keep up with. Naruto, still doing his best to hide in case of a surprise attack, followed from a distance. It didn't take long to move through the throng of people, Aerith had picked the path of least resistance and ran along the outer ring so she could slip by them. Naruto followed, taking to the large piles of garbage so he could gain a birds eye view of the situation.

It was as he was doing this that a brief, but very intense burst of pain shot through the back of his neck. A second later, he burst into puff of smoke.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>This was not Reno's day. When they had made this plan, Shinra had accounted for all the members of AVALANCHE. The girl and the fatso weren't really fighters, they would be easy to deal with. The man with the bandana would be a bit more difficult, but nothing several dozen pounds of led to the chest couldn't fix. They didn't know much about the large breasted chick, but considering she had combat gloves like Elena they had guessed she would be proficient in hand-to-hand combat. She might be a tough opponent, but nothing a little distraction couldn't take care of. The real problem would be the big man with the gun arm, and the ex-SOLDIER.<p>

The larger man was strong, and had a gun-arm. That right there would pose a problem to them. But he was also easily angered. If they could anger him so much that he fired sporadically and ran out of bullets quickly, then kept him from being able to switch out his ammo, he would be easy pickings. The ex-SOLDIER was the biggest problem. They were, after all, the best of the best. The elite. Still, the man with the blond hair and blue eyes had a large ass sword, they could use that. It was why Reno was chosen. No matter how fast the SOLDIER could swing that blade, Reno would likely be faster. All he had to do was dodge the first attack, then just hit the blade with his electro-mag rod. It might not take the guy out, but it should at least allow Reno to finish him.

None of those plans meant a damn thing anymore now that Naruto had somehow joined the picture. The Turks, for all their intelligence gathering and analytical abilities still knew next to nothing about the mysterious blond's powers. They knew he was wicked good at hand-to-hand, Elena and Rude may be able to match up to him, but they could never get an accurate skill set because the man always seemed to have traps within traps within traps waiting for them. Rarely ever did Naruto fight straight on, and the one time he had was during Reno and Rude's first encounter with him. The only other pieces of information they knew about him was that he was a master at infiltration, his ability to infiltrate the Shinra headquarters and prank people like Hojo and the other Shinra heads was nothing short of astounding. They knew he liked to play pranks, Gaia did they know that. They also knew he could create physical copies of himself. That was it, however, there was no more information on him then that. Even Cissnei, who knew the most thanks to his friendly personality with her, had never gained anymore info on the man.

Well, Reno was getting some information now, though he really wished he wasn't.

The man was good. Really, there wasn't much more that could be said. From the get go of this battle, Reno had been on the defensive. The man wielded those small twin blades like an expert, spinning and slashing and stabbing in a constant, never ending motion. He never moved in the same way twice, his attacks seemed to come in from angles that were completely random. His ability at deception during combat was incredible. The man could hide feints within feints. He would come in with a slash from up high, Reno would sidestep, only to realize at the last second it was a feint. He would be forced to block or dodge another attack, only to run into another attack and just barely manage to get away. Already his arms, legs and chest were burning from the mild wounds he had received at the blonds hands. Barret, Cloud and Tifa hadn't even needed to get involved yet.

Worse still, nothing Reno did could get past the blond's defense. No, not defense. Saying defense implied that Naruto was blocking his attacks, that wasn't the case at all. He wasn't blocking, he was dodging, avoiding. The annoying possible ex-SOLDIER was like the water as it flowed around a rock, naturally flowing and impossible to catch. Every slash and jab of his rod was simply avoided entirely. It was like Naruto knew when an attack was coming long before Reno actually attacked, and moved to avoid it accordingly.

It was beginning to get on Reno's nerves.

Naruto came in again, the kunai in his left hand launching out in a stab set to impale Reno through the chest. The red head backed up a step, his electro-mag rod coming up to block. Once again the green energy coating the small blade negated the electricity, but by now Reno paid no heed to it. He moved his arm up and out, forcing Naruto's hand to flow over his head and to the left. The shinobi merely went with the move, sliding to the left with some fancy footwork as he spun around and lashed out with his other kunai in an attack that would have slit Reno's throat, had it hit.

Reno jumped back, trying to gain some distance, though his coat now had a long gash in it from the near miss. In response to his hasty retreat, the blond flicked his wrists, launching the two kunai and forcing the Turk to roll across the ground. As he came up, Reno was once again forced to block more strikes as the man somehow regained his kunai, or had more that he pulled out from somewhere. The battle continued and Reno was beginning to get desperate. He needed some kind of reprieve or distraction to take this guy out, or at the very least get some distance so he could complete his mission.

Fortunate seemed to smile on him that day. Just as Naruto was coming in to attack again he fell to the ground, grunting in pain as he raised a hand to his head in what looked like an instinctual reaction. Reno didn't know what was going on, but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth. He ran in, his electro-mag rod lashing out. The blond was struck flush in the face. Reno had set his rods power to it's highest setting before he struck. It was like music to his ears as he listened to Naruto's cry of pain as he was electrocuted with who-knew-how-many volts of electricity. The blond fell onto his back, twitching and groaning, eyes rolled into the back of his head. It was amazing that he was still somewhat conscious.

Reno had a moment's thought on what he should do, kill the blond, or complete the mission. His first thought was to kill Naruto, but then he remembered the blond wasn't alone and thus decided to get on with the mission. He rushed towards the console as Barret, Cloud and Tifa got over their shock at seeing Naruto go from dominating the Turk to on his back and defeated in seconds. They moved to intercept Reno, but the man was to fast. He reached the console before they could reach him.

His hand hovered over the button. They all froze.

Reno gave them a cool smile.

"You're too late. Once I push this button..."

He pressed the button with a smirk. The console beeped sharply, and klaxons began blaring loudly all about them. The platform was immediately cast into a flashing scarlet, lights spinning alarmingly from atop the pillar's console. Reno reached deftly under the panel, pressing another button and causing the lights to just as quickly disappear. Wiping his hands together, he cocked his head to one side as he grinned at them dramatically.

"And that's all folks! Mission accomplished!"

Tifa hissed under her breath, casting a brief glance at Cloud and Barret.

"We need to disarm it!"

Reno was certainly not about to let them try and disarm the bond he had just activated. Holding up his electro-mag rod, he tapped it tauntingly on one shoulder as he shook his head, standing before them.

"I'm afraid I can't let you do that."

Without a word, Tifa sprinted right at Reno. Cloud reached out imploringly with one arm, as if to stop her. At Cloud's side, Barret backed up, preparing for a shot. In front of them all, Reno let his arms fall to both sides loosely, seemingly willing to let Tifa run him down. Everyone moved with blazing speed.

Striking like a snake, Reno swung at Tifa as she flew at him. She rolled underneath the blow, aiming a punch at Reno's midriff as she moved. With a quick motion, he managed to slap the fist to one side with his free hand. A cocky smile upon his face, he skipped back a few steps out of reach. He let his arms fall to his sides once more and raised an eyebrow, as if daring her to come at him again.

Cloud broke into a run, racing after Tifa as she charged at the Turk once more. This time, as Reno swung at her with his metal baton, she caught it with one hand. With incredible force, she bent his arm backwards, staring directly into his eyes, her face ablaze with fury. Reno attempted to push her off with his other arm, but soon was crying out in pain. Cloud came around the side as he readied his weapon, stepping closer. Tifa had trapped Reno in a painful hold, his arm bent into a near-impossible angle. But something wasn't right. Cloud's eyes flicked to her face. Tifa's expression suddenly took on a look of apprehension. Cloud stared at Reno. The Turk was smiling.

With a click, Reno hit a button on the side of his baton with his thumb. Instantly, Tifa began shaking uncontrollably. Her hand clenched tightly to the baton as the exposed parts of the weapon danced with sparks. Tifa's eyes rolled back as she crumpled to the ground, swiftly losing consciousness. Above her, Reno gave a triumphant laugh. Cloud's eyebrows raised in horror as he realized the true danger. Tifa's hand wouldn't let go, doomed to hold tight to the electrified weapon as her muscles locked in place. His muscles tensed and he made to launch himself at Tifa in the hopes of knocking the weapon out of her grip.

Before he could even move, a blur of black and blond shot past him.

"Konoha Senpuu!"

Naruto launched himself into a kick, forcing Reno to duck lest he get his neck snapped. However, he did not expect the low kick that came after it as the blond continued his spin. The man was hit with a heel to the face. He was launched backwards, smacking the grating with bone jarring force, the metal flooring denting under the momentum created from Naruto's assault. He rolled, tumbling along the metal floor before coming to a stop. As he tried to get up, the click of a gun being armed and pointed at him made Reno look up. Barret's gun-barrel was staring him in the face, the big man behind scowling at him.

"One wrong move and you can kiss yo' ass goodbye!"

Reno shrugged, dropping the electro-mag rod, then raised both arms above his head. While Barret was keeping Reno from trying anything funny, Tifa had woken up and was over by the console, pressing button after button as she tried to stop the plate from falling. After several seconds it became obvious that nothing she did was helping. She turned her helpless gaze to Cloud.

"Cloud! I don't know how to stop it!"

Frowning, Cloud rushed over to the station and took a look at it. Blinking lights and flashing panels met his gaze, there was a timer set for fifteen minutes with the clock already ticking down. He shook his head.

"This isn't a normal time bomb."

Barret growled as he intensified his glare at Reno.

"How do we deactivate that bomb!"

Reno gave him a cold smile.

"You don't."

Before the large man could react, Reno dropped to the floor. He picked up his electro-mag rod, and as Barret swung his gun-arm towards him, Reno swung his rod, smacking the metal gun and sending a large electric shock through the black mans body. Despite his natural resilience to damage, the amount of electricity pouring through him was too much for Barret and he dropped to a knee, smoke rising from his body.

Reno ran, his feet moving as fast as they could take him towards the ledge. The sound of a helicopter reached his ears and he smiled. Naruto tried to intercept him, but he was too far to make it in time before Reno jumped off. A second later, the helicopter rose. Reno was climbing up the side, a grin on his face as everyone else stared at him in shock. A hatch popped open above him, allowing him to climb into the helicopter and another man took his place. The man stood, holding onto a handhold on the inside as he leaned out of the hatch. His eyes viewed them with detached interest. They stopped on Naruto, and a small smirk formed on his face.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you here. You've given me and my men quite a bit of trouble this last year."

Naruto shrugged.

"You guys should just be lucky I happen to be a pacifist."

"A pacifist? Really?" Tsengs eyes gazed at the dead men laying around the platform. "I would think that, considering what you're doing, you are most certainly not a pacifist."

"Oh," Naruto's eyes widened in surprise. "You thought I meant 'pacifist'," he made quotation marks in the air. Grinning, the blond said, "I was actually talking about pass a fist, as in my fist passing through your face."

"Cute," Tseng remarked dryly. He looked over at Cloud and Tifa with a cold disregard. "I believe you will find that disarming that bomb will be next to impossible for you. It'll blow the second some idiot touches it. Only a Shinra Executive can set up or disarm the emergency plate release system."

Barret roared as he aimed his gun at Tseng.

"Bastard!"

Several bullets were launched from Barret's gun, ricocheting on the metal hull and creating a light of sparks on the armor plating.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you," Tseng said. He reached a hand back into the hatch, grabbing something that elicited a very feminine, very familiar yelp. With a yank, he pulled out none other then Aerith, scared and unsure, yet putting on a brave face. "You might just make me hurt our guest."

"Aerith!" Naruto shouted in surprise and anger. He had known, the moment his clone had died, shot through the back by a sniper, that it had likely been Shinra and they could very well have Aerith in their custody. But he had hoped she would be able to get away, the girl had avoided Shinra for years. Why would now be any different?

"Ah, yes, that's right," Tseng said coldly at hearing Naruto's cry of surprise. "You two are quite close, aren't you. How kind am I? Letting you see her one last time."

Naruto glared at the man with a hatred that Tseng could feel from where he was. If looks could kill, the leader of the Turks would have been ripped open from the inside out. A trickle of sweat poured down his scalp.

"If you harm one hair on her head, I will hang you by your balls on a fucking meet hook, rip off your arms and beat you to death with them!"

The tone in Naruto's voice was cold, deader then a winters chill in the northern continent, yet containing enough sheer hatred that his words dripped from his mouth like lava. It caused everyone, Cloud, Barret, and even Tseng to shiver. Tseng, more then anyone knew that the blond might actually be capable of committing his threat. The blond had already proven he could infiltrate the Shinra headquarters

"Such a scary threat." Even though the blond below him couldn't do anything right now, Tseng decided to take the threat seriously. "But do not worry overly much. After all, she is very special to Shinra."

Naruto clenched his fist at those words. His fingers dug into his palm, drawing blood as he glared at the man. His eyes moved over to Aerith, she was putting up a brave front, showing that she truly was an amazing and courageous young woman, but Naruto knew she was scared out of her mind. His eyes softened, he smiled at her.

"Don't worry Aerith. I'm going to rescue you."

"I know," Aerith said, smiling. She looked over at Tifa. "Don't worry, she's safe."

Tifa seemed to realize who Aerith was talking about because she smiled a second later. Tseng looked at the girl in his grasp. He then looked back at Naruto, those cold blue eyes that were glaring at him, daring him to hurt the girl and see what would come of it. Deciding not to do anything that would provoke the man, he relaxed his clenched hand. Cloud stepped forward as he looked at the leader of the Turks.

"What are you going to do with Aerith!?"

"I haven't decided yet," Tseng replied, looking for all the world like he didn't care. Naruto knew otherwise, but didn't voice his thoughts. "Our orders were to find and catch the last remaining Ancient. It's taken us a long time, but, now I can finally report this to the President."

Aerith cupped her hands and yelled.

"You guys need to hurry up and get out!"

She was unable to say anymore. A dark figured rose up behind her, grabbing her arms and trying to drag her inside. The girl fought, twisting and writhing against her captor, but it wasn't enough. A bag snapped in place over her head and she was pulled inside, the hatch snapping shut behind her. Tseng looked the group of fighters before, a cold smile forming on his lips.

"Ha... it should be starting right about now. Think you can escape in time?"

The helicopter ascended far above them, flying away.

A loud beeping alerted them that time had run out. Far above, a loud rumbling sounded out. Seconds later a large gout of fire rocked the support pillar that kept the plate up. Large chunks of stone began to fall, flaming chunks of twisted debris. It was a miracle none of them had hit the control platform yet. But everyone knew it was only a matter of time. If the falling debris didn't destroy them, then the plate falling would. They needed a way out.

Barret noticed a wire with a grapple hook attached to the railing. With a shout to alert the others he grabbed onto it. Cloud and Tifa ran up to him. Tifa jumped in front, grabbing onto the grapple hook and using her strong legs to wrap around the wire. Cloud was able to engulf her, his arms went around her form and his hands clenched hers so that she had a firmer grip on the wire. Barret was grabbing the hook attached to the grapple, standing on the railing as he prepared to jump off. Naruto used a chakra enhanced leap, grabbing onto the wire several feet above Tifa and clamping down in a strong grip. Barret stood on the rail, took a deep breath, then swung away. Tifa closed her eyes, fear and uncertainty causing her to not look at where they were going. Cloud understood her fear. They did not know where the cable taking them, but it had been their only chance.

Below, crowds of people stood forth, watching. All at once, they experienced the most absolute fear, a fear as ancient as humanity. The sky was falling. Up above, the massive metal plate that had blotted out the sun, that had hid the clouds, that had stopped the rains... The plate was coming down to kill them all. Some ran, seeking hopelessly to outrun its impact before it hit. Others sat down, helpless. The titanic hunk of metal descended, uncaring and lifeless, cam down.

And crushed all those beneath it.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Further away, in a tall and bright tower, spotlights weaved about. The beams ran across the dark clouds above. From this high up, the pinnacle of the tower, one could see the plate falling. He looked out the wide pane of glass, gazing down at the damage he had wrought. President Shinra sipped his cognac lightly, savoring the taste, the letting the hot liquid run slowly down his throat. Below, a thick dust cloud rose. Within minutes, it covered the area in a smoky haze. The blaze of the explosions and the fires appeared only as small twinkling lights. From this high up, it was only a distant painting of fiery destruction. He did not see the lives snuffed out, in that final fateful instant that the plate hit ground.<p>

He did not care.

Instead, he smiled, content in accomplishing what he had set out to do. The President swirled the drink in his glass, the golden liquid spiraling about in the smooth glass. He walked over to the wall, and pressed a button. Mellifluous sound filled the room, deep tones and rich notes ringing out. He closed his eyes for a moment in satisfaction. His favorite opera. With one finger, he delicately pressed another button, one painted dark red. Then he walked over to the maroon couch in the middle of the room, pushing it right up to the window before sitting down. Outside in the distance, he watched as dark helicopters slowly chopped their way to the fallen plate. Sitting heavily on to the sofa, President Shinra took one more long sip, and then smiled once more.

All according to plan.

* * *

><p><strong>And here we are, the next chapter. Some of you may like it, some of you may hate, but, meh, you can't please them all.<strong>

**Pokemaster12 signing off.**


	15. A4 C15: Decisions made

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arc 4: Shinra Infiltration**

**Chapter 15: Decisions Made, History Revealed**

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><p>The cable took them careening through the open gate of Sector Six. They just managed to escape the plate, passing through the open gate as it crashed into Sector Seven with a large explosion. A wave of fire and heat pushed against them, sending the cable into an uncontrolled spin that made all but one of the people attached to the capable feel like they were going to be sick.<p>

Cloud was the first to let go. Unable to maintain his grip on the cable and Tifa's hands, he was tossed away violently, landing on the ground and crashing into the swing set hard enough to dent the steel. Without Clouds powerful grip keeping her own hands from sliding off, Tifa was the next to get sent flying. She landed on the ground, rolling across it for several feet, kicking up sand before coming to a stop. With a loud yell, Barret was sent sailing after his one good arm found itself incapable of keeping a good grip on the steel wire. The large black man went careening into the cat down, blasting through the plastic playground piece with all the force of a wrecking ball. Plastic exploded everywhere, showering the others with small chips of the destroyed park equipment.

Naruto was the last to land, having used chakra to keep his grip until the cable reached the peek of it's swing the whiskered shinobi did not need to worry about keeping a good grip to stay attached to the wire. He let go, allowing his body to sore through the air, twisting. His feet hit one of the many large piles of junk, he used a car door that was sticking out of the pile as a spring board and jumped from one pile to the next, getting nearer to the earth each time. The ground came closer and with a small grunt, he bent his knees and allowed his body to absorb the impact. As he straightened his legs into a more suitable standing position, Naruto took a look at their new surroundings, more specifically his eyes traveled to his hurt... allies. He walked over to the nearest person, Tifa, and knelt down beside her.

"Tifa," he called, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked none of the worse for wear, her clothing was scuffed, and she had a few scrapes and bruises form her harsh landing, but not much else. Still, Naruto knew better than to assume she was alright. There were far worse injuries to suffer than external ones. "You alright?"

"Nggguu..."

Tifa groaned as she pushed herself onto her hands and knees. She coughed several times, her lung trying to take in deep breaths, but unable to do more then pant and cough. Naruto let his hand glow as he activated the Shousen No Jutsu, wincing as he felt his already dwindling reserves go down even more. However, it was worth the loss as he saw the beautiful young woman begin to recover. Her breathing evened out, her coughing stopped and color returned to her cheeks. She looked at him and offered a smile, her voice coming out low and raspy, but quickly gaining in strength.

"Thank you."

Naruto grunted in acknowledgment of her words, he would have said more, but with the amount of chakra he had used the blond needed all of focus on keeping himself conscious.

Standing to his feet after healing Tifa, he offered the girl a hand. When she took it he pulled her up and moved over to Cloud, where he began healing the blond ex-SOLDIER. Tifa looked around, her eyes noting all of the debris that now littered the playground. They had been lucky none of it had landed on them. Barret was beginning to stir, a growling groan escaping him as his hand clenched at the sides of the hole he'd made in the playground he equipment. As Cloud recovered enough to stand up, the largest member of AVALANCHE struggled to pull himself out of the hole he'd made. Tifa went over and helped him, standing on the equipment and grabbing his hand she pulled. As he came up, she almost tumbled onto her back, her body was still weak. She just barely managed to catch herself. Shaking her head as she landed back on the sandy ground.

With an ashen look on his face, Barret stepped over the broken playground equipment, making his way slowly to the gate they had flown threw. No longer accessible the gate was blocked off by twisted steel and concrete, the large remains of the upper plate that had been dropped onto Sector Seven. The doors of the gate had been blasted off by the force of the large structure being dropped on it. The metal was warped, bent and broken at impossible angles. There was nothing left. Nothing but smoke and debris.

"Marlene..."

His lips began to tremble. Sector Seven was gone. Tears that he wouldn't let fall stung his eyes. Seventh Heaven was no more. His arms felt heavy. Biggs. There was nothing left. Wedge. All the hope he had wanted to inspire was destroyed. Jessie. Gone, all of his hope was gone.

"MARLENE!" With a shout of rage, anguish and loss, Barret loaded up his gun-arm, raising it against the remains of Sector Seven's upper plate. His face twisted into a mixture of loss and anger, he opened fire.

Bullets blasted against the twisted debris, sparks flew across the across the metal surface.

"Biggs!"

Steel pellets ricocheted off the metal, rebounding into the surrounding landscape.

"Wedge!"

Barret was panting now as he fired off shot after shot from his gun-arm.

"Jessie!"

His gun-arm clicked. He triggered the release again, only to get another click. He was out of ammo. Not that it mattered to Barret.

"God dammit!"

He ran up to the rubble and began pounding with fist and gun-arm, beating on the remains that had once been the upper plate of Sector Seven. His hand was starting to bleed from hitting the much more durable metal, but he didn't care, the pain in his hand could never match the pain he felt in his heart. The acute sense of loss that now engulfed him.

"DAMN IT ALL TO HELL!"

Barret dropped of his knees. Still needing something to pound he began hitting the dirt. Pounding a fist sized imprint into the sand.

"What the hell's it all for!?"

Cloud and Tifa could only watch on helplessly as the larger man broke down. Tifa felt useless. Tears stung her eyes as she watched the man she had known for several years now crying out in grief and rage.

"Barret..."

"I'm surprised by you, Barret."

Everyone turned around to look at Naruto casually leaning against the slide, arms crossed over his chest and a blank look on his face. His expression revealed nothing of what he may be feeling, it was, for all intents and purposes, completely blank. It was impossible to read his emotions with that face. The blond looked at each one of them, his blue eyes boring holes through their head. Not even Cloud was able to maintain gazes with someone who had such an intense look in their eye. His eyes turned back to Barret.

"Surely you knew that once Shinra determined you were more of a threat then they felt you were worth, they would do something like this."

Barret, eyes red and bleary from his tears, growled. With his hand and gun-arm in the dirt, he heaved himself to his feet, standing up. He took a single step forward to steady himself, his glaring eyes never leaving Naruto's cold blue ones.

"The hell'd you say!?"

Naruto met the much larger mans heated glare with a blank look. He shrugged. There was no nice way to put this.

"Only that what happened today is your fault."

"My fault!" Barret roared at the blond. He lifted a foot, smashing it into the ground with far more force then needed, sending dirt flying as his boots left a large imprint in the ground. Barret began stomping towards Naruto, each heavy thud of his foot a prelude of what was to come. The look on Barrets face was one of intense rage, a hatred that burned so deeply very few would be capable of seeing it's depths. "This ain't my fault! It's all Shinra's damn fault!"

"Laying the blame on others so you don't have to cope with the fact that your actions just cost over 30,000 people their lives?" The way Naruto said that made it sound like a question. Those who knew the subtle nuances of his speech would have realized it was rhetorical. He snorted. "How typical of someone like you. How... pathetic."

Tifa gasped behind Barret. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. While she didn't know Naruto that well, she would have never expected him to act like this. To be so cold and uncaring. It was like he was an entirely different person right now. Staring into those cold, glowing blue orbs that reminded her so much of Clouds right now, Tifa couldn't help but wonder what happened to the kind and caring person she had first seen entering her bar all those months ago.

For several seconds Barret could do nothing but gape at the man, as if unable to believe what he had just heard. His mind was replaying the words in his head, but they just weren't connecting. One word did echo inside of his mind, however. Pathetic. Another moment passed, then two, finally, Barret roared at the man and quickly charged at him.

"I'll show you pathetic!"

"Barret! Don't!"

Tifa made to move. She knew that she had to stop them from fighting or things could get out of hand very quickly. On top of that she knew that, as he was right now, Barret didn't stand a chance. Despite what had happened just minutes prior, Naruto was still calm, collected, aloof. He didn't look like someone who had just witnessed the death of thousands of people, it was as if he had been desensitized to death. Barret on the other hand, was clearly effected by what had happened. He wasn't thinking straight, Tifa wasn't even sure if he was thinking at all. She couldn't let him fight in that state. However, before she could make to stop the pair, a hand rested itself gently yet firmly on her shoulder. Turning her head she saw Cloud staring at her.

"Cloud! What are you doing!? We have to stop them before this get's out of hand!"

Cloud only shook his head.

"I think they need this... Naruto more so then Barret."

Tifa's eyes glazed over in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

In response, Cloud cast his gaze over to Naruto. Tifa, after a moment, followed his eyes to look at the blond shinobi.

"He may not look it, but Naruto is probably suffering more then anyone else right now." Tifa's eyes widened. She looked back at Naruto, wondering how Cloud could possibly think that. The guy was just standing there as if nothing had happened! Cloud seemed to sense this because he continued. "The person he just cared for more then anything else in this world was taken from him. I don't think I need to tell you just how much Aerith means to him. You saw how he acted around her just as clearly as I did."

Tifa nodded, unable to deny that what Cloud said was very true. Naruto had always been very personable, friendly, easy to get along with and slightly teasing. However, when he was with Aerith, a whole new facet of his personality seemed to shine through. There was a tenderness in Naruto that Tifa had never seen before in anybody else when he was with Aerith. His eyes would soften, a warm smile would light up his face, his touch was gentle, while his personality was still very similar to his normal one, when with Aerith it was almost like staring at an entirely different person.

"He needs this," Cloud continued saying. "They both need this to let out their pent up frustration."

A sigh came from Tifa. Her shoulders dropped and she nodded sadly, getting Cloud to remove his hand.

Naruto watched as Barret charged towards him like a rampaging bull. He waited, his body still, his muscles relaxed, Naruto waited until the very last second before reacting. It was just as the man came at him, fist cocked back to deliver a punch that would have given him a serious concussion if it hit that Naruto moved.

He sidestepped the attack, letting Barret's fist pound it's way into the slide, breaking through the weak plastic with relative ease. It was a credit to the man's strength that he broke the plastic so easily, but that did not deter the blond shinobi. All the strength in the world meant nothing if you couldn't hit your target.

Naruto slid, his feet never leaving the ground. The action was so smooth and controlled that it looked almost like he was gliding, only the small trail his feet left in the dirt told a different tale. Soon enough the young man found himself behind his opponent. Because of the height difference between the two, he had to jump up so he could smash both heels of his feet into the back of Barret's head. Due to the momentum the larger man had thanks to his charge, Naruto's attack increased the speed he moved forward, sending him hurtling face first into the slide. There was a sickening crunch as the man's nose broke under the attack.

Barret stumbled backwards, his fist pulling itself free of the hole it made in the slide. He grimaced, blinked back tears he brought his hand up to his broken nose. Blood was streaming down it, the slick, red liquid began running along his fingers, coating his gloved hand in red. With a loud crack, he reset the nose, grunting in minor pain. With that done, he turned back to Naruto who was back on his feet, staring at him, arms crossed and that same blank look on his face.

Unable to stand the look the younger male directed at him, Barret charged.

The much larger man began throwing punch after punch at Naruto, the smaller, faster blond weaving in between his half-hazard attacks with an ease born from having been in an untold number of life and death battles. Much like Naruto's fight against Reno before it went south, the blond was dominating the battlefield.

With a roar of anger at his attacks not hitting, Barret swung his gun-arm, hoping against hope that the sudden use of his other arm would surprise Naruto and allow Barret to wipe that smug look off the whisker marked shinobi's face.

It wasn't to be, the swinging of Barret's gun-arm had been what Naruto was waiting for. The blond ducked, letting the metal arm pass just centimeters above him, ruffling his hair. As he came up, Naruto reached out with this right hand, grabbing onto the gun-arm. Using a small application of his own natural strength and the momentum of Barret's swing, Naruto flipped the man onto his back.

There was a loud '_woosh'_ as Barret lost all of the air in his lungs. He began to hack and cough as his body instinctively tried to refill his lungs with oxygen. Despite the soft sand underneath him, it still felt like an anvil had been smashed on his chest, and it took several long moments of agonic asphyxia for him to regain his breath.

He tried to stand, but Naruto still had a grip on his gun-arm. With a grunt and a powerful yank, the blond flipped him over onto his stomach, bringing his gun-arm up high with a loud wrench that popped his shoulder out of it's socket. A grunt of pain was all that escaped Barret as he tried to get up, but Naruto pressed a knee directly into his lower vertebrae, paralyzing him and leaving Barret unable to do anything. A hand gripped Barret's hair hard enough to draw a pained hiss from the man. Naruto yanked, pulling the black man's head up so that he was staring at the remains of Sector Seven.

"Do you see this?" Naruto asked, his voice coming out in an angry hiss. "I want you to take a good look at what happened here! I want you to burn this into your mind so that you never forget it! This is what happens when you go off half cocked trying to take down a global spanning company like Shinra! This is the price for your hubris!"

This was the biggest reason Naruto never went after Shinra seriously. So long as they didn't think he was a threat, they wouldn't actively seek his demise. The shinobi held no illusions about his own prowess, he was strong, against any one of the Terks, and maybe even against two or three of them at the same time, he would be more than capable of winning so long as he was at full strength. Even against a first-class SOLDIER, Naruto was positive he would come out on top. But to make a true enemy out of Shinra was tantamount to suicide. One man, or even a small group, against an army that spanned the world was a death sentence, no ifs, ands, or buts.

"I bet you thought you were so bad ass after destroying that first reactor!" The blond continued, forcefully pulling Barret's head back up when the man tried to yank his hair out of Naruto's grip. "You probably thought you untouchable, because they had been unable to do anything against you! And now look at all the people who've died because of your stupidity!"

"You sayin' this is my fault!?" Barret grunted out. He tried to move, to get Naruto off of him so he could retaliate against the blond. But whatever Naruto had done to him left his body unable to respond to the commands of his mind.

"That is exactly what I'm saying," Naruto said coldly. His voice sent chills down the spine of all those present, even Cloud couldn't help but shiver at that tone of voice. There was just something not quite right about that voice, never mind the fact that it was a tone that simply didn't belong on the normally congenial man. "All of this happened because you naively thought you could take on a company as large and powerful as Shinra as you are now. That because you felt your cause was right, just, that you could just fight and fight and fight and eventually, Shinra would just lose, because they were evil, and you were the good guys."

That was the way it always went with psychophants and people who had a chip on their shoulder. They believed in the rightness of their cause so much that they were willing to overlook everything else in persuit of their goals. As long as they accomplished what they set out to do, the death of several thousand people meant nothing to them.

"Not so confident now, are you?"

"So nothin' I do will ever amount to anythin', is that it!?" Roared Barret, his face still being held in the iron clad grip of Naruto. He tried to turn his head and glare at the blond, but since he couldn't even move an inch ended up staring at the Sector Seven remains. "That I can never beat Shinra so I should just give up! is that what your sayin'!?"

"Not at all," Naruto said, again surprising everyone present. Here he was, berating Barret for trying to fight against Shinra, then he turns around and says something like that. Naturally they were confused. Naruto either didn't care or wasn't paying attention. He just continued with his speech.

"I'm telling you that every action has consequences. Everything you do will effect not only you, but those around you. By trying to take on Shinra you ensured that you would be there enemy, by stationing your base in the Sector Seven Slums, you gave them the means to beat you. By not being strong enough to protect yourselves you ensured that _this_ would happen. Your group was too small to do anymore then annoy Shinra, you didn't have enough people, you didn't have enough supplies, you didn't have enough funding, and you didn't have enough of the peoples support. Without those your crusade against Shinra was doomed to fail from the start. But most important of all, you lacked the forethought to truly make any significant difference. If anything, your actions would have caused even more chaos and death."

"What do you mean?" By this point in time all of the fight had left Barret. Naruto's words, cold and hard as they may be, were getting through. Barret was stubborn, incredibly so, but there was really no way he could argue with the ex-shinobi's words in the face of Sector Seven's destruction. His shoulders seemed to sag under the weight of what Naruto said, and all that was left was a broken man who had lost everything.

"I mean, what do you think would happen if you did manage to beat Shinra?" Naruto continued. "Let's think theoretically for a moment. _If, _and this is a pretty big fucking if. If you did manage to beat Shinra, do you know what would happen?"

He paused, giving Barret some time to come up with an answer. Naruto was met with silence, letting him know that Barret had no idea what they would do after that. He nodded.

"As I thought. Let me inform you of what would happen if you did defeat Shinra. Had managed to beat them, it would have left a power vacuum. Right now, Shinra controls the world. By defeating them, you leave a large space of power at the top of the food chain that needs to be filled. And who would be there to fill it? You? AVALANCHE? Try every single wannabe crimes boss in the entire world. Everyone who thought they were anyone would struggle to climb to the top of the ladder left by Shinra. They would fight, and claw, and bribe, and kill their way to the top. The civilians would end up getting caught in the crossfire of violent gang wars. The death toll would be even more catastrophic then the one we just witnessed with the plate falling. Mass murder on a global scale."

"AVALANCHE... AVALANCHE would be there to stop it." The words held no weight. Cloud knew it. Tifa knew it. Barret knew it. The only reason Barret spoke was out of sheer stubbornness.

"AVALANCHE doesn't have the man power or the funding to protect everyone," Naruto pointed out. "Most Crime bosses like Don Corneo of Sector Six are rich. They have more money then they know what to do with, and could just as easily spend that money to wage war, especially if the prize was control over the planet. AVALANCHE was only six people. People like Don Corneo? They have armies. And they can just hire any would-be thug they pick up off the street. With a group like yours, you have to be more discreet. You can't just pick up some random cut-throat who wants to make a quick buck, you have to find people who believe in your cause and are willing to stand up and fight. And most people simply don't have enough resolve to take up arms against others."

"I can't jus' give up..." Barret mumbled lowly before his voice started picking up in volume and anger. "How can you jus' expect me to give up? To let Shinra get away with everything they've done!?"

"Did I say you should give up?" Naruto spoke rhetorically. He shook his head at how stubborn this man was being. "I never said that. I said you need to think before you act. You have to think about the consequences your actions will have on the people around you. What's the point of defeating Shinra if everybody around you winds up dead?"

"Then what should we do?" The question came from Tifa. Sometime during Naruto's tirade she had walked closer to them, listening to the blond as he spoke. While she herself had thought that what AVALANCHE was doing had been good, hearing this man speak with such conviction made her question everything they had done up to this point. The way he was speaking, the tone in his voice, It was almost like he had already experienced what they were going through. She couldn't help but wonder, had he dealt with a company like Shinra before?

If only she knew.

Naruto looked at her with thoughtful eyes before answering. "Well, for starters, you can't just go around blowing up Mako Reactors. Aside from the general fact that doing such really doesn't affect Shinra in the long run, you also have to take into account the peoples feelings. You may be shocked to know this, but the average citizen, even those living in the Slums, think AVALANCHE is nothing more then a terrorist organization bent on causing the destabilization of the region and anarchy."

Tifa's eyes widened.

"But we're not! All we want to do is free the people from Shinra's control!"

Naruto shrugged.

"And how are they supposed to know that? To the average person Shinra is a faceless conglomerate that really doesn't effect their way of life one way or the other. The only thing they care about is that Shinra is the company providing them with the electricity via Mako energy. So when you go around destroying reactors, not only are you causing a panic in those sectors that lose all power, you are also causing the people to rally under Shinra's banner. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised one bit if Shinra turned this entire situation around to their benefit."

Tifa felt a stirring of trepidation at the blonds words. There was something about the way he spoke that set her on edge. Still, she had to ask.

"What do you mean?"

The smile Naruto gave her was cold.

"Shinra controls everything. This doesn't just include who gets provided with electricity and who doesn't. They control the media; the newspaper, radio broadcasts, video feed, you name it they control it..." At these words even Barret seemed to catch on, for everyone's eyes widened. Naruto's smile went from cold to bone chilling. "That's right. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if some time tomorrow, Shinra released a broadcast claiming AVALANCHE were the ones who destroyed the support pillar for the plate."

"But that's a lie!" Tifa cried, more out of shock then anything else.

"Yes, it is," Naruto agreed readily. "But aside from us and Shinra, everyone who knows of what happened died when the upper plate crashed into the Slums. And I can assure you that no one in Shinra is going to speak out about this. In the end, it all comes down to who the people are willing to believe. AVALANCHE? That faceless organization who's been going around blowing up Mako Reactors without giving any true reason? Or Shinra? The company who controls the media, the company that determines what the average citizen knows."

There was a long silence after that. No one could say anything to deny Naruto's claim, knowing that he was right. All this time they had thought they were truly making a difference, that if they just kept at it Shinra would be defeated and the people would be happy. Only for this to happen. Sector Seven was destroyed, and the only people who knew the truth were AVALANCHE and the ones who destroyed the support pillar. Of the two, Shinra was the one in charge of the media, and they would be the ones who let the people of Midgar know what was happening, twisting the truth if not outright lying to get the people to rally under their banner.

"You've all been played," Naruto began again, after giving them several moments of silence to think. "By doing what you've been doing, you've all been played right into Shinra's hands. Do you think this is the first time people have gone up against Shinra? There have been other groups who believe as you do. But like yourselves, they were playing by Shinra's rules. And because of that, they lost, just like you."

There was a moment of silence amongst the group. Barret's face was scrunched up in a combination of anguish and rage, yet for all the intensity his facial expression possessed his body looked like it might give out from underneath him. The only female of the group wasn't doing much better, she seemed to be struggling to contain her tears from the knowledge Naruto had just given them on the futility of their actions. Of the group, Cloud looked the most unaffected, standing where he was with his arms crossed and brow furrowed. But even though he didn't look it, his mind was replaying the shinobi's words over and over again to see if he could find fault with them. He couldn't.

Seconds became minutes as the three remaining members of AVALANCHE tried to come to terms with what Naruto told them. It wasn't something they truly wished to think about, but regardless of their desires it was impossible to deny the facts, and the fact was that Naruto was right. The silence that had seeped into the clearing like the silence of a graveyard would be broken once again by Tifa.

"Then what should we do?"

"That... I can't answer," Naruto responded, shaking his head. "I don't hold all the answers, and I've never gone up against a company as large as Shinra before." While he was able to draw up comparisons from his life in his past world, compared to Shinra, Gato had been a small time thug. There was simply no contest between the two. "But I can tell you this, every person must decide on what they want to do from here on out. You won't be able to beat Shinra as you are now, so each of you has to make a choice on what you want to do. Continue on as you have been, quit, or find another way to fight against Shinra's corruption."

Naruto got off Barret, letting go of his arm and taking several steps back. The big man stood, grumbling a bit about how his arms were numb. Tifa looked at Naruto, silently contemplating everything the mysterious blond had just told them. As the silence progressed, Cloud stepped forward.

"And what about you?" he asked, bringing Naruto's attention to him. "What do you plan on doing?"

"I have to rescue Aerith," Naruto said without a seconds hesitation, showing that he'd already been planning on doing this the moment he'd seen Aerith in their clutches. "I'm going into Shinra headquarters, and I'm going to get her out."

Barret gave Naruto a hard look. His voice coming out in a gravelly bass.

"In that case I'm going with you."

"Barret!" Tifa said in surprise.

The big man didn't spare her a glance, busy as he was staring at Naruto.

"You're right about one thin'. I never really did think about what would happen if I managed to beat Shinra, nor any of that stuff 'bout consequences an' all that. I just thought that if I kept on fightin' the good fight, things would eventually turn out for the best. I realize now I was... wrong."

Tifa's jaw dropped in shock. Never in the entire time she had known Barret had the man ever admitted to being wrong. The big man was as stubborn as they came. Even when everyone knew he was wrong, even when _he _knew he waswrong, he would never admit to it. For him to actually admit, _out loud,_ that he was wrong meant what Naruto had said really got to him.

"But that doesn't mean I'm jus' gonna quit!" Barret shouted, his eyes alight with determination. "Now, more then ever I know that Shinra needs to be defeated! I don't have an answer yet, but maybe, if I go with you, I'll find one."

Naruto nodded, slowly, accepting the man's reasons as they were. Barret, he had realized, while not necessarily a simple man, preferred the direct approach. He didn't like thinking too much. If there was an enemy he would rather riddle them with led than reason with them or try to understand why, if there was a problem that needed to be tackled he would charge in head first without thinking. That was just the way he was, and truthfully, Naruto could respect that even if he didn't agree with it anymore. After all, had he not been the same ways so many years ago?

Turning his gaze away from the large man, Naruto focused his attention on Tifa. She saw him looking at her, and after realizing what he was asking in his silent gaze smiled.

"I'll help. After all, it was my fault Aerith was taken. If I hadn't asked her to get Marlene and take her somewhere safe, they never would have..." Tifa trailed off at the same time Barret's eyes lit up.

"Marlene!?"

"That's right!" Tifa looked at Barret who held an expression of hope about his face. "Barret, do you remember what Aerith said before they took her. She said 'don't worry, she's safe.' She was probably talking about Marlene."

"It wouldn't surprise me," Naruto said. "If I know Aerith, Marlene is probably at Elmyra's house."

"Elmyra?"

Naruto turned his head to look at Tifa.

"Aerith's mom."

"Ah."

Naruto nodded, then turned his attention to the last member of the ragtag group.

"What about you, Cloud? What do you plan on doing?"

Cloud closed his eyes, thinking. His face scrunched up as he tried to decide on what he should do, brows furrowed. Truth be told it wasn't that hard. While Tifa might blame herself for Aerith's capture, Cloud felt it was his fault as well. If he had never gotten her mixed up in all of this, if he had never fallen into that church, if he had been just a little more careful during the destruction of the second Mako Reactor, Aerith would have never been captured.

"I'm going to help you. I owe both you and Aerith."

Naruto gave him a solemn nod. It seemed everyone had made their decision. They would be going with him to rescue Aerith. It would be much more difficult then his solo infiltration missions, he wouldn't be able to just use henge and sneak in, but Naruto was sure they would manage something.

But before that, they needed to pay a visit to Aerith's mother.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>The cottage, the flowers, and the flowing water; all seemed subdued and deprived of vibrancy in the wake of the day's events. As Naruto and the rest of his companions walked forth, they could hear voices rising behind them. The news of the fallen plate permeated throughout Sector Five. Naruto could hear the slow chopping of helicopters in the distance. The military arm of Shinra was moving in, both to quell down and calm the agitated citizens. Beside Naruto, Barret grunted as the sounds wash over him. But the big man's anger was soon staved off. Barret and Tifa stopped and stared in disbelief at what lay before them. Aerith's house. In spite of all the madness and death, this place stood on; an island of unchanging serenity surrounded by an ocean of wavering doubt.<p>

Naruto led the way, not even bothering to knock as he gently pushed open the warm mahagony door and walked into the house. Inside, Elmyra sat by the round table in the middle of the room, her face in her hands. As they all stepped inside, Naruto moved towards the woman. She looked much smaller than he remembered for some reason. When he knelt in front of her, Elmyra looked up, barely perceptible emotion running through her eyes.

"Naruto..."

"I'm sorry." Naruto hung his head, more to mask the tears that wanted to escape then anything else. Silence permeated the room, broken only when he continued. "I'm so sorry. Because of me, Aerith was taken. I had thought that if she stayed away from where the battle was taking place, Shinra wouldn't notice her. I was stupid, and now she's been captured..."

The three that had followed Naruto watched in shock as the man that had just verbally tore into Barret less then an hour ago apologized to the aging, motherly woman before them. Was this person and the one they had seen seconds before even the same?

"No..." Elmyra shook her head. "You are not to blame for this. I know that you have always done everything in your power to make sure my daughter stays safe. It was only a matter of time before they came here and took her."

Cloud tensed. Tifa interrupted, her eyes flashing.

"They were here? Are they still?"

Elmyra's gaze shifted to Tifa.

"No," she said, "That's what Aerith wanted..."

Elmyra rose, looking away. Cloud moved forward, but was stopped by Naruto. The two blond's stared at each other for a second, a silent conversation seeming to pass between them. While behind them, Tifa and Barret watched the silent confrontation, neither of the two AVALANCHE members could even begin to comprehend what was going on through the minds of the ex-SOLDIER and the ex-shinobi.

In the end, it would be Cloud who broke the stalemate, turning his gaze from Naruto's. The blond with whiskers breathed a sigh of relief, before moving over to stand by Elmyra. He stopped directly behind her and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. The woman he knew was strong, and so long as there was hope she wouldn't allow herself to wallow in grief, but that didn't mean she wasn't suffering. She cared for Aerith as only a mother could, and that was one thing Naruto would never, could never, even hope to understand. So all he could do was offer his silent support. It seemed to be appreciate, as Elmyra turned her head at his touch and gave him a small, determined smile.

"Elmyra," Cloud started as he watched the byplay between the two. It was clear their was a bond connecting the pair, one forged from their mutual love of Aerith. Love, after all, came in many different forms. "Why is Shinra after Aeris?"

For a moment her face twisted into grief, then it disappeared, just as fast, as if it had never happened. She looked over at Naruto, who had closed his eyes upon hearing the question.

"You didn't tell them?"

Eyelids fluttered open to reveal glowing blue orbs that looked at Elmyra with a firm gaze. Naruto shook his head.

"It was never my story to tell."

"I figured you would say something like that." Elmyra closed her eyes, sighing. "Aerith is an Ancient. The sole survivor."

Barret grunted. Cloud turned and watched the big man shake his head, confused.

"Wait a minute." Barret said, "Aren't you Aerith's mom?"

Elmyra hesitated, as if the truth was something she was not eager to own up to.

"Not her real mother."

Tifa considered for a moment, then stepped forward, giving Elmyra an encouraging smile.

"Can you please tell us what happened?"

Elmyra sat back down, gesturing for the rest of them to do the same. She spoke with a voice tinged with reminiscence, giving a soft smile as her mind arced through paths of memory.

"The best way to tell is to start near the beginning," she stated, "It must have been 15 years ago. During the war. My husband was sent to the main front, a faraway place known as Wutai. One day, I went to the station because I got a letter saying he was coming home on leave..."

* * *

><p><em>By the glowing light of the lantern nearby, Elmyra smiled. She could hardly hold herself back. She wanted to run up to the station, to fling the doors aside, to fall into his arms. She had waited for so long. She walked up the path, small clouds of dust rising behind her. All around, the train graveyard lay in pieces. Rusted and ancient behemoths provided an unsettling vigil over her travel. But she laughed and did not care. This was her day. She took in the sight of the metallic monstrosities and gave an honestly happy grin. Nothing was going to bring her down.<em>

_The train stood at the platform, encased in a misty golden glow. People slowly trickled out of the entrance. Elmyra watched earnestly as she approached. By one of the lampposts, a man with a red bandana swung himself around the pole with one arm, singing dramatically to the amusement of his the russet-haired woman nearby. Her laugh rang out like an echo of youth reborn. With a flourish, he hopped off the post, spinning right into a warm hug. Together, hand in hand, happy and carefree, they walked out of the station. Elmyra couldn't contain a smile of appreciation as she passed by them. This was proof that, despite Midgar, despite the life underneath the plates, despite Shinra's worldwide control; happiness was still achievable. True joy still existed, despite the onset of darkness._

_Upon the platform, Elmyra stopped to watch the passengers file out of the locomotive. She sat gently onto the stone stairs nearby, sweeping her dress beneath her. A couple of men and women waited as well, eager to see their loved ones. Time passed. She watched the entrance of the train with an anticipation built up over years of patience. One after another, a man dressed in a crisp blue uniform would appear, a wife or daughter would call out delightedly, and the man would sweep them into his arms, holding close and tight. So long without that feeling, so long without that warmth, that comfort. Tears flowed freely as one couple after another reunited after years of uncertainty and fear. Elmyra almost felt ashamed for watching, viewing events so intimate and personal. Each reunion was a deeply private event of unadulterated happiness. Elmyra kept an eye on the doorway. Waiting for her own._

_After some time, the men stopped coming off of the train. A conductor looked inside, double checking to see if there was anyone else. A pang of worry ran through her heart. She began to walk forward, breaking into a run as the conductor began to shut the metal doors shut. She lay a hand on his shoulder, beckoning for him to stop. He turned and shook his head sadly. Nobody else left on the train. In shock, Elmyra backed away, her mind sundered with confusion and doubt. Why wasn't he there? Distantly, she felt her knees buckle, her strength going loose to sit on the stone stairs once more. She gazed out across the distance, forlorn. After a moment, she buried her face in her hands. Why wasn't she allowed to have her happiness?_

_My husband never came back._

_Had something happened to him?_

_No, his leave must have been canceled. Temporarily._

* * *

><p><em>"<em>Determined to be there when he came back, I went back to the station every day, every time that train came back." Elmyra continued, looking at Cloud and the others. Naruto already knew this story, so he didn't pay attention. Instead he leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed, and a look of concentration on his face. "I was going to be there when he returned, and I would not give up on that hope, that determination."

* * *

><p><em>Then, one day...<em>

_A woman lay on the stony steps to the platform, unmoving. A young girl leaned over her, shaking, crying uncontrollably. Elmyra stood watching in shock for a moment. She then ran over to them. As she approached, she scowled at the conductor watching from a distance. It wasn't right. Nobody was helping. But she was not about to turn away from someone in need. The world was not so far gone as to forget that one could still do good._

_Elmyra's mouth widened in surprise as she knelt down next to the fallen woman. The woman wore exotic clothing, blues intermixed with reds in the thick layers of cloth. Her lustrous brown hair stretched out long underneath her, her forehead covered in sweat. The young girl clutched Elmyra, tears running down her cheeks. She wore a light green shirt and a skirt of brightest blue. The girl begged Elmyra to save her mother, to bring her back. The girl did not want to be left bereft, left alone in a world where charity was forgotten and lost._

* * *

><p>Elmyra interrupted her story.<p>

_"_You used to see this sort of thing a lot during the war. Her mother's last words were, 'Please take Aerith somewhere safe...'."

Elmyra gave a brief smile.

"It didn't take me long to decide. My husband was gone. I had no child. I was lonely. So I decided to take her home with me."

* * *

><p><em>Aerith raced up and down the stairs, huffing and puffing like a steam engine as she brought her dirty laundry down piece by piece. Every so often, she would look at Elmyra, searching for approval, for acceptance. Despite Elmyra's efforts, she insisted on doing it herself. The girl wanted to prove her usefulness, seemingly afraid that Elmyra would leave her, or force her to go. Elmyra couldn't help but laugh at the scene. Finally, she rose from her knitting, set it aside, and stopped Aerith with a firm hand on her. Aerith looked up, her emerald eyes watering with worry and stress. Elmyra spoke softly as she ran her fingers through the young girl's long brown curls.<em>

_"You don't have to do that. Let me help."_

_Aerith shook her head furiously, not letting her. The girl's voice rang out, explaining why she had to, why it was no problem at all. But Elmyra pushed it all aside. Slowly, she knelt down, the girl still speaking, and brought her into a hug, holding tight and close. The young girl's tears came forth in a torrent, her resistance dissolving. The sobs wet her clothes, but Elmyra didn't care._

_"Everything's going to be alright," she whispered, "I will never leave you."_

* * *

><p><em>"<em>Aerith and I became close very quickly," Elmyra said with a smile, looking to the others, "That child loved to talk. She used to talk to me about everything."

* * *

><p><em>Aerith<em> _barreled down the stairs, rushing down two steps at a time in her eagerness to go outside and play amongst the flowers. With a brief yelp, she tripped over and crashed down to the wooden floor. Instantly, Elmyra was there, giving the girl a hand up. Later, she would smile as she looked out the window, watching Aerith in her own little world, playing amongst the daffodils, the vibrant green grass folding beneath her._

* * *

><p>"In time, she told me how she escaped from a research laboratory. Her mother had taken a chance, risking her life in order to set them free. When I asked Aerith later if she was lonely, if she wished she had friends to play with, she shook her head with a smile. She said that her mother had already returned to the planet, so Aerith would never be lonely again."<p>

Barret interrupted, gazing at Elmyra with a skeptical frown.

"Returned to the planet?"

Elmyra nodded.

"I didn't know what she meant. I asked if she meant a star in the sky, but she said it was this planet. I never figured it out. She was a mysterious child in many ways."

* * *

><p><em>"Mom."<em>

_Elmyra turned to the stairs. Aeris walked slowly down, her new pink dress rustling softly as she descended. The young girl walked straight up to her, gazing at her, deeply saddened. Aerith brought Elmyra into a close hug. She held it for some time before finally speaking. Aerith whispered softly._

_"Please don't cry."_

_Elmyra looked at her in surprise. "What happened?" she asked._

_"Someone dear to you just died," Aerith said in a voice that was both matter-of-fact and deeply caring, "His spirit was coming to see you, but he already returned to the planet."_

_"What...?"_

_Aerith just hugged her tighter. Finally, she gave Elmyra one last sad look, and walked outside._

* * *

><p>"At the time, I didn't believe her. But..."<p>

* * *

><p><em>Elmyra sat at the table, her head in her hands. She shook as she read the letter before her. After a moment, the tears finally came, one trailing after another, falling unheeded onto the paper below. Her life with him flashed before her eyes. She remembered his smile, the warmth of her hand in his as they walked in the park when they were young, the day he had fallen to one knee and proposed...<em>

* * *

><p>"We received a notice saying my husband had died. I mourned but, in time, I returned to living my life, caring for Aerith. A lot had happened. But we were still happy. Until one day."<p>

* * *

><p><em>The man was surprisingly kind and polite, his long black hair combed sharply to a length just touching his shoulders. He bowed before he came inside. He wore a navy blue suit, his red tie smart and tight against his chest. Yet, despite his manners, Aerith hid behind Elmyra's chair, gazing at the man with a mixture of loathing and fear as he sat at the other side of the table. The man paid her no mind. He introduced himself as Tseng, a representative of Shinra, and he said that he was here in their interests. As Elmyra considered, Tseng sipped at his hot tea, complimenting her on its taste before beginning.<em>

_"We would like you to return Aerith to us. We've been searching for her for a very long time."_

_Aerith peeked out from behind Elmyra's chair, her green eyes flashing._

_"No! Never!"_

_Elmyra thought in silence, trying to appraise what was going on here. As she did, Tseng leaned forward in his chair, giving Aerith his full attention. He gave the girl a gentle smile, placing both hands underneath his chin._

_"Aerith, you're a very special child. You are of special blood. Your real mother was an Ancient..."_

* * *

><p>"And that is where I heard it. That Aerith was an Ancient."<p>

* * *

><p><em>"The Ancients will lead us to a land of supreme happiness," Tseng continued passionately. He clearly believed these words to be true.<em>

_The man stood and walked to the window, looking and pointing outside with an expressive frown. Though he pointed at the waterfall, it was clear that gestured towards Midgar itself; the pollution, the waste and hardship._

_"If she comes with us, we'll be able to put a stop to this. We won't need any of it anymore. Aerith will be able to bring happiness and peace to all those in the slums."_

_Tseng returned to his chair, affixing them with eyes aflame with the nobility of his goal._

_"That is why Shinra would like Aerith's cooperation..."_

_But before he could say another word, Aerith came out from behind Elmyra's chair. She trembled as she yelled._

_"He's wrong! I'm not an Ancient! I'm not!"_

_Tseng stared at her for a long moment._

_"But Aerith," he said softly, "Surely you hear the voices sometimes, when you're all alone?"_

_Her face turned red with fury._

_"No, I don't!"_

_Without another word, Aerith ran out the front door, slamming it shut behind her. Elmyra watched through the window as the girl moved away, retreated to her sanctuary among the flowers. When Tseng asked her about any powers manifesting, Elmyra denied it, turning away. She changed the subject. She apologized for Aerith's behavior, then put her foot down. If Aerith did not want to go with Tseng to Shinra, then he was going to have to be satisfied with that answer. They were not going to take her away. Tseng rose slowly, and looked down at her with a strange and sad expression. He said that they would never do such a thing. But his voice betrayed him. Elmyra glared. Tseng walked back out to Sector Five, striding back into Shinra's grasp._

* * *

><p>"But I had lied," Elmyra said, "I knew about her mysterious powers. But she tried so hard to hide it, tried so hard to act normal. So I pretended that I never noticed."<p>

Cloud stared at the wall, musing.

"It's amazing how she's avoided Shinra for all these years..."

Elmyra smiled as she turned to Naruto.

"I have Naruto to thank for that."

Everyone looked at the blond as he turned to face them from where he had been leaning against the wall, his eyes out the window of the kitchen. Seeing their gazes he shrugged, then turned back to the window. The mysterious blond didn't seem to be in the mood to talk, they could understand why, but were still curious. Everyone looked back at Elmyra, silently asking for an explanation.

"It was a little over a year ago. Aerith had found Naruto gravely injured. His wounds had been terrible, punctured lung, ruptured spleen, every single bone in his body had been broken as if crushed by some unknown force. According to Aerith, he had fallen through the roof of the church she frequents so often."

At this, Naruto's face gained a sheepish blush. He could see the others gazing at him through the reflection in the window. When his eyes locked on with Cloud's, he noticed the amusement in them. Apparently, he realized the irony as well.

"Amazingly enough, Naruto's injuries managed to completely heal with just eighteen hours of rest. Afterwords, he decided to help us out as payment for looking after him. He would do household chores; fix up the roof, help Aerith with the garden and would watch after her when she went to the Church or the upper plate where she sold flowers. Eventually he just became part of the family. It was sometime near the beginning of his stay that Naruto and Aerith had their first run in with the Turks. Before, Aerith had been able to use a mixture of Shinra's need to keep her alive and her own natural cunning to escape them. However, this time they ambushed her. Naruto had fought them off and escaped with Aerith, and ever since then, he's been protecting her."

It was a new piece of information that none of them had heard before. Naruto had always been silent on his past, he was very cunning about telling people something about himself, without actually revealing anything useful. The person who knew the most about him, Tifa, by stint of Naruto having gone to her bar for drinks on occasion, had still known next to nothing about Naruto's past. However, even with this new knowledge there seemed to be more questions without answers.

Tifa, thankfully enough, decided to leave thoughts on the blond alone... for the moment. She turned to face Elmyra, her face scrunched up in worry and confusion.

"But, why now...?"

Elmyra sagged in her chair, her age showing along with her fatigue.

"She brought a little girl here with her. On the way, Tseng found them. She probably couldn't get away fast enough. Not with the girl at her side. Aerith agreed to go with Shinra in exchange for the little girl's safety."

Cloud understood.

"Must be Marlene."

Barret rose slowly, his face a mask of anguish.

"Marlene! Aerith was caught because of Marlene? I'm sorry... Marlene's my daughter. I'm really sorry..."

Elmyra rose herself, her face contorting with anger.

"You're her father? How in the world could you leave a child like that?"

All the wind seemed to go out of Barret. The big man collapsed back into the chair, looking away, struggling to answer.

"... Please don't start with that. I think about it all the time. It tears me apart..."

Barret looked to Elmyra, his eyes filled with tears.

"But you gotta understand that I don't have a good answer. I want to be with Marlene, but I gotta fight."

He hit the table with one fist, causing the glass vase with flowers to tinkle lightly as it bounced.

"Because if I don't... if I stop... the planet is going to die. So I'm going to keep fighting because, while she may be alone a lot of the time, I'm fighting for her future. But, when it comes down to it, I really just want to be with her always. See, I'm just going in circles now! But, I'm sorry that this happened. I'm so sorry..."

Elmyra gazed at him, judging and measuring him for a moment. Finally, her features relaxed.

"I think I understand what you're saying. I'm sorry I got angry. But, as for Marlene, why don't you go be with her now?" Elmyra smiled, pointing to the floor above, "She's upstairs asleep."

Barret's face lit up. Thanking Elmyra profusely, he shook her hand with such force that she shook from side to side. Moving with what he assumed was a mixture of quiet and haste, he rushed upstairs, his big feet clomping against the wooden stairwell. Elmyra followed him with her gaze, smiling. It was good to see someone who cared so much for the child.

She was not the only one with a measure of caring. She was not alone.

Naruto also let his eyes follow Barret as he walked up the stairs. He still fully believed that the man had needed to get a boot of reality to face, because really, what he had been doing was stupid and reckless, and the results of his actions were proof that he had not thought about the consequences. His daughter could have just as easily been killed had Tifa not asked Aerith to get the girl somewhere safe. Still, Naruto would never deny that it was apparent the big man loved his daughter.

As Barret's clomping footsteps dwindled to a mere thud in the distance, Tifa spoke and Elmyra turned to her. The young woman stood limp, defeated.

"It's my fault," Tifa said, an anguished look of regret on her face. "I was the one who got Aerith involved in this."

Elmyra moved forward with a disarming smile. She placed one hand warmly on Tifa's shoulder.

"No. Don't say that. Aerith doesn't think that."

Naruto watched as the two women hugged. He closed his eyes and looked away, sighing. Silently, he walked upstairs, his absence only noticed by Cloud who had been watching him.

Like the rest of the house, the upstairs was an extension of peace and sanctuary. The lamps on the side cast a warm glow through the hall, motes of dust floated lazily through the air. Yet Naruto could not find the peace he normally did. Without Aerith there to light up the house with her smile, the normally bright and peaceful place felt empty. Hollow.

His body moved on autopilot, he heard the sounds of sniffing and half-hearted protests coming from his room, but he ignored them in favor of heading into Aerith's room. Opening the door, he slowly walked in, shutting it behind him as he looked around. The room was just as bright as always, with it's pink walls and cheerful personality that seemed a perfect match for the girl who slept here. But it was just another empty room now, there was nothing special to it, no warmth. Without Aerith the entire room felt like a mockery of what it normally was.

With a sigh, he moved over to the bed, his hands reaching into his pouch. He pulled out a large storage scroll, a different variety then the one he used for holding equipment. Stopping by the bed he set the scroll down and unrolled it, channeled his chakra, and unsealed the contents.

Jessie looked just as she did when he'd sealed her inside. Her eyes were closed, a peaceful expression on her face as she slept. The slow rise and fall of her chest let him know she was alive, and that being sealed inside of the scroll had not done any damage to her. Still, just to make sure he placed his healing materia into his arm and ran a medical scan over the woman. When he was satisfied that there was nothing wrong with her, Naruto got out his cleaning supplies and began to wipe the blood and grime off her face.

"Is that...?"

Naruto turned, surprised. He had been so focused on his job that he had not even noticed the door open. He mentally berated himself for letting his guard down even when at home, he should know better than this, before looking at the shocked Cloud.

"Yes, it is, and close the door before people see her."

Cloud did as told, absently, his mind still trying to focus on what he was seeing.

"Is she...?"

"Alive? Yes," Naruto turned back to Jessie and began his task again. He would dab the cloth in his hand in alcohol, then wipe away at the crusted blood around her wounds. The booted footsteps of Cloud came up behind him, but he ignored that in favor of his task. "When you and Tifa ran off, I checked just to make sure she was really dead. She had a pulse, unlike Biggs and Wedge who truly died before I could do anything. I couldn't just leave her to die so I healed her."

"I see..."

There was silence, the only sound being the sniffles from the other room, and the softer noises Naruto made as he dressed the areas Jessie had been wounded. Cloud watched, surprised by just how happy he was to know that Jessie had survived. Perhaps it was guilt due to how he had treated her and the others when he had first joined them. Not that the reason really mattered. A groan escaped Jessie's lips, causing him to snap out of thought and look at the woman whose eyes fluttered open.

She looked around, her eyes bleary as she no doubt tried to figure out why she was alive, or if she had died and was now in heaven. Her eyes stopped when they landed on a spiky blond main in front of her. Tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes and her voice trembled as she spoke.

"C...Cloud?"

An amused smile made it's way to Naruto's face. Behind him, Cloud pressed the palm of his hand against his face to cover the consternated look it had gained. Why did everyone always mistake them for each other, or twins? Was this going to become a common occurrence?

By Gaia he certainly hoped not.

"No, sorry," Naruto answered, his voice rife with amused undertones. "I'm not Cloud, though he is in the room as well."

Jessie blinked, the blurs were becoming more distinct, images were sharpening. The man in front of her looked like Cloud, spiky blond hair, glowing blue eyes and... three whisker marks? Cloud didn't have those.

"Not... Cloud...?"

"That's right. I'm Naruto."

"Naruto..." She tested the word out before nodding her acceptance. Her mind still wasn't working at full capacity it seemed. Jessie looked around again, her eyes finally taking in the rest of the room. "Where am I?"

"Your in my... friends room," Naruto replied carefully, being sure to keep the emotions in his voice from leaking out. There was no point in letting others know just how much pain he was in without Aerith's presence. It was not a physical pain, but an acute and sharp sense of loss that gnawed at his heart. While much more painful, it was a bit easier to keep hidden so long as no one who really knew him looked into his eyes. "She's not here right now, and I know she wouldn't mind me using it to let you rest. By the way, how are you feeling?"

"Sore." Was the immediate answer. Naruto chuckled a bit while Cloud snorted.

"Right, I should have realized. Hang on just a second. Shousen No Jutsu."

Naruto's hand glowed green again and he brought it up to her forehead. A sigh of relief escaped Jessie's lips as the aches and pains in her body began to fade. Even the headache left her. She closed her eyes as the warmth of Naruto's jutsu engulfed her, and was tempted to go to sleep. All too soon the jutsu ended, and though she felt much better, Jessie found herself missing the warmth.

"How do you feel now?"

"Better," Jessie said. She tried to sit up, wincing just a bit as she realized that even if she may have healed, she was still incredibly weak, her body just wasn't capable of supporting her weight anymore. It felt like her arms were made of lead, several thousand tons of led that had been compressed to the point that they were shaped like a pair of arms. It didn't help that most of her body felt numb.

"Easy," Naruto said, grabbing her by the shoulders and forcing her back down. She went without protest. Even if she _could_ move Jessie wouldn't have argued with this strange man. There was just something about him that was comforting, it made her feel relaxed without realizing it. "Healing techniques can only do so much. Your body may be healed, but it's still weak and will be very sore for some time to come."

"I noticed," there was no sarcasm in her voice, just a tired acceptance. Jessie was simply glad that she was alive. However, there was one thing that was bothering her. Well, there were several things truthfully, but one that was bothering her more then others. "Who are you exactly?"

"I suppose we never really did get into introductions," Naruto said, slightly amused that she was only now wondering who exactly he was. Barret just hadn't cared one way or the other. "As I said before, my name is Naruto Uzumaki. My friend and I... ran into Cloud when he decided to drop in on us..." behind him, Cloud couldn't hold in the snort of amusement. Despite the situation Naruto grinned. "For various reasons we traveled with him and ended up getting into... that bloodbath at the pillar..." his voice trailed off, for obvious reasons. That was the moment everything had gone to hell.

"I see... what happened? How am I alive?"

"Ah, well, as much as I hate to admit it, we failed to stop Shinra from destroying the support pillar." Naruto admitted, wincing when he saw the defeated look on the woman's face. There were tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes, and it was only seconds after they formed that they began to fall.

"No..."

He had never liked it when woman cried. Naruto did not know what it was about the act of a female crying that set him off, even before his hatred of rapists appeared he had been like that. Perhaps it was some kind of long dead chivalry, or maybe he was just chauvinistic and didn't know it, but seeing the opposite gender in tears, especially with the look of such abject loss on their face that Jessie held, tore him up inside.

"I'm sorry," he murmured softly. His hands came up and he began to thumb away her tears. Strangely enough, or perhaps not so strangely, Jessie did not move away from the act. Naruto's presence seemed to exude an aura of peace and comfort, a by product of his personality and being so in touch with nature, and like all people, Jessie had the ability to innately sense this even if, like everyone else, she did not know what it meant.

"What about the others?" Jessie asked suddenly, trying to get her mind off of their failure. It helped that the blond's smooth, warm hands somehow managed to bring her some measure of peace. "Did everyone else survive?"

"Your friends, Wedge and Biggs... didn't make it." Naruto stopped when Jessie had to stifle a sob. "However, Tifa, Barret, Cloud and Marlene are all alive and well. In fact," Naruto stood up at seeing the hopeful look on the woman's face. "Why don't I go get them for you."

Naruto moved towards the doorway, passing Cloud with a nod as the man took his place. He stepped outside and was just closing the door when the door to the other room opened and out walked Marlene and Barret. The moment the little girls eyes landed upon the blond... and spotted his whisker marks, a large smile latched onto her face and she ran towards him.

"Whiskers!"

"Ugh... you still calling me that?" Naruto groaned playfully at the girl as she ran towards him, but it didn't stop him from scooping the girl up into his arms when she jumped at him. She had started calling him whiskers about three months ago, during his third visit. Naruto would always act annoyed when she called him that, mainly because she found it funny.

"Of course!" Marlene chirped happily. "Especially with Cloud around. I need some way to identify you."

"And it just had to be whiskers..."

"Yep!"

"Right..."

"Hey whiskers, guess what, guess what!"

Naruto looked at Marlene to see the girl was practically bouncing up and down in excitement, though how she could do so when he had a firm grip around her legs was beyond him.

"What?"

"Aerith was asking me all these questions about you. Like 'what did Naruto say about me when he was visiting you and Tifa?' and stuff..."

Oh, this wouldn't end well, Naruto knew. Aerith was already put off that he hadn't told her about his infrequent visits to Seventh Heaven. If she knew some of the things he had said about her to Marlene, there was no telling how much teasing the brunette would put him through when he rescued her...

… thoughts of Aerith being in the clutches of Shinra instantly killed his mood.

"Hey, how the hell do you know Marlene?" asked Barret. He had been silently standing in the background for nearly five minutes, staring at Marlene in shock as she leapt into this unknown blonds arms and began chatting away with him like he was her best friend. However, the shock had now worn off and Barret wasn't particularly pleased, it didn't help that this man had tore down all of his well founded arguments to help his fight against Shinra an hour earlier... even if he was right.

"He's whiskers of course!" Marlene chirped happily, in the way only a child could. "Remember daddy? I told you about him!"

And then he did remember. It had been about a month before Cloud had come into the picture that he had heard Marlene complaining about how 'whiskers' hadn't come to Seventh Heaven in a month. Tifa had given the girl an amused smile and said he was probably busy with his girl friend, which has gotten Marlene to puff out her cheeks in childish anger. At the time, he hadn't thought much of it, merely assumed it was some regular that she had grow attached to. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened. However, to learn that the person who had managed to capture Marlene's interest was the same person who had given him a complete dressing down an hour was ago was shocking.

To say the least.

And then Barret's mind registered the name his daughter had given to the Shinobi and a chuckle escaped his lips. He shook his head and shot the blond a sly grin.

"Whiskers, eh?"

"Laugh it up fuzz face," Naruto retorted with a mild glare. Barret growled at the nickname, referencing his large beard. Why did people always diss the beard? Before the big man could say anything on the blonds apparent lack of respect for a man's facial hair, said shinobi hooked a thumb over to the door he had just walked out of. "Anyways, I wanted to let you know that there's someone in there that I know would appreciate seeing you."

Barret gave the man a curious glance, but Naruto just shrugged, a small half-smile on his face before he set Marlene down. The girl pouted, but he just smiled and ruffled her hair playfully, getting a half-hearted scowl out of the girl who tried to shove his hand off.

"Go in there with your daddy, ok? I think she would appreciate seeing you as well."

Marlene stopped trying to get the hand off of her head, instead looking up from between the blonds large hand, which seemed to engulf her entire cranium. It made for a rather comical sight.

"Who's in there?"

"A friend," was all Naruto said as he stood up and began making his way downstairs. It was a few seconds after he began walking down the stairs that the heavy footfalls of Barret began moving. The blond ninja smiled when the sound of a door opening and a loud shout of 'Jessie!' reached his ears. He walked down the rest of the way and over to Tifa and Elmyra, both of whom had been sitting in chairs at the round wooden table but had looked up, startled by Barret's bellow. They looked over at Naruto as he finished walking over to them and sat down on one of the empty chairs.

"He's just greeting a friend," Naruto said, looking pointedly at Tifa. "You should probably pay her a visit as well. Cloud, Barret and Marlene are likely all there and I'm sure the reunion won't be complete without you."

Tifa looked confused for a moment. She looked over at Elmyra who shrugged helplessly, clearly stating that she didn't know anything about this, then at the blond who smiled. After a moment or two, she stood up and made her way up the stairs.

A few seconds later Tifa's cry of 'Jessie!' resounded through the living room.

"Do I even want to know?" asked Elmyra, looking at the blond pointedly. Naruto shrugged as he set propped his arms on the table and closed his eyes.

"They're just getting reacquainted with an old friend they thought died when the plate crashed into Sector 7."

"I see."

Naruto opened his eyes and looked at the aged, yet strong woman. "She's going to be incapable of moving much for at least a week. I hate to ask this, but could you look after her?"

"Of course," Elmyra replied with a smile. "It will give me something to do while you go and rescue Aerith."

"Yeah..." Naruto's mind once again turned to Aerith, the girl he had promised to protect and the person who meant the world to him.

_'Just hold on, Aerith. I'm coming.'_

* * *

><p><strong>Another chapter has come and gone, and just like I expected not everyone enjoyed the last chapter. I do understand where people are coming from, especially those who are expecting things to be different from the canon.<strong>

**For those of you who are waiting for large, sweeping canonical changes, you will have to wait awhile longer. The problem with changing the canon completely is that A) FFVII is a very linear game and needs to follow a certain path in order to insure that certain events come to pass, and B) many of the things that happen are intricately tied into the plot. For example, the upcoming rescue mission is where three very important events take place, for those of you who have played the game you will know what these events are. I won't say anymore so I don't ruin it for the people who haven't played the game, suffice to say that in order for the plot to advance, certain things need to happen in a certain way. That's why I had Naruto introduced the way I did in the first chapter, and why he never became a part of AVALANCHE later on, because if he did, the changes he would effect would be much larger and would most likely change much of the story.**

**Do not let my words dishearten you however, there will be changes to the story, but they will take place after escaping Midgar.**

**Something else that has been bothering the general populace is Naruto's apparent weakness. There is a reason for that, and I can guarantee it's not what you all think. While Naruto was no doubt tired from his ordeals in the sewers and graveyard, he should have still bee able to defeat Reno. This issue will be addressed near the end of the next arc, and everything should become clear.**

**However, for the guy who complained and said that Cloud is more than strong enough to defeat Reno on his own, I have to say I disagree to a point. While Cloud is clearly much stronger than Reno physically, let's not forget that it took him, Tifa, and Barret to take the man down in the game. Now, a part of this may just be due to the linear way that battles are fought in an RPG video game, but it doesn't change the fact that the battle was still three against one, and even though you beat Reno in the game, he still wins in the end.**

**Another thing, several people seem to think I'm under powering Naruto. I'm going to tell you that you have obviously been reading too many VSNAKE stories. While I do have some overpowered god-like Naruto stories, I have recently been trying to take a more realistic approach. Even in my god-like Naruto stories, our favorite blond will still struggle with something, whether that's his reemerging humanity (Ashikabi no Shinobi), or god like opponents (Eventually happpening in Demon King and Ten Tailed Wolf), he will have some kind of weakness. I don't think making it so that Naruto is capable of steamrolling over every problem that comes his way makes for a good story, it's fine if you do, but I like watching Naruto struggle and manage to overcome all of the odds in spite of the many variables thrown against him.**

**Now, whether you listen to this rant and take it to heart, or take it with a grain of salt and complain to me, I hope you will at least understand and respect my decisions. If not, there is always the back button.**

**Pokemaster12 out.**


	16. A4 C16: Getting in is Easy

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 4: Shinra Infiltration**

**Chapter 16: Getting in is Easy**

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><p>After the excitement and joy of seeing one of the people they had thought died during the plates fall alive, Barret and Tifa had calmed down long enough to profusely thank Naruto for saving Jessie. It was slightly uncomfortable for the blond, watching Barret almost bowing before him with tears in his eyes as the man thanked him, especially when considering how he had pretty much torn into the man's belief with all the raging fury of bull when it saw red. However, the blond could understand where the man was coming from. Therefore he tried his best to just accept the thanks he received before deciding that they would need to determine what their next step was.<p>

Everyone knew that they would be going after Aerith, which would involve infiltrating the Shinra Headquarters. Naruto was already trying to come up with a plan that would allow them to sneak in. The problem as he could see it was two-fold. The first was that, while Naruto himself could easily sneak into the building undetected and get out without anyone being the wiser, he was not going alone this time. He would be on a team with three other people, none of whom knew a damn thing about stealth. His second problem was getting Aerith out. There was, unfortunately, no way to get her out undetected. Even if Naruto were going alone, he doubted he would be able to rescue Aerith without her absence being noticed. In the end, this meant his approach would be much less subtle then the other times he had infiltrated Shinra Headquarters.

While Naruto had been trying to come up with a plan, he'd given tasks to the others that he now found himself allying with. He'd had Tifa take care of Jessie, a task the beautiful and busty woman was more then happy to do. Cloud was sent out with Barret to get some supplies, things like ammo, explosives, medical supplies at Naruto's request and, if possible, materia. Only Barret really complained about the orders, his bitching being more along the lines of Naruto ordering them around rather then the actual orders themselves. Several times the man had argued that only the 'leader' could give orders, and that the 'spiky-headed blond bastard' wasn't the leader. Naruto's simple counter to the man's argument was that he was the only one who needed to sneak into Shinra Headquarters, and everyone else had decided to come with him by choice, therefore making him leader by default. He'd also told the man that if he didn't like it, he could just stay with Elmyra. The man had grumbled some, but ended up following Naruto's orders, albeit grudgingly. Thankfully, neither Cloud nor Tifa had trouble following the blond shinobi's orders, with both of them having already experienced being under his command, even if it was only for a short time.

Later that night, Barret and Cloud had come back, each bearing several bags of supplies. They set everything down on the round table, after having moved most of the items such as the vase and dinner cloths away, and began inspecting it all. Truth be told it wasn't much, no where near what they had hoped to get. But with what had happened to Sector Seven having spread through the entirety of Midgar, there was very little in the way of people selling, especially weapons. Still, Barret did manage to get several dozen clips of ammo for his gun-arm, which would keep him loaded for quite a while if nothing else.

Naruto watched over them for a few minutes before deciding to get his own supplies ready. He walked upstairs, his feet barely making a sound. It was something left over from his shinobi days. All ninja were instinctively light on their feet. Even when in a normal setting such as living in a house with people like Elmyra and Aerith, Naruto moved in complete silence.

As he reached the hallway Naruto heard Tifa and Jessie talking in Aerith's room. He could tell it was about him, as his ears picked up the sound of Jessie's voice as she asked questions about him. Most of them seemed fairly basic from he could hear, though he was only paying half attention to their conversation. He soon walked passed the door and entered his own room.

Once inside he immediately began getting to work, walking over to a particular floorboard. He knelt down, pressing his left index finger into the wood and running it along the tiling. His finger soon halted as he felt the seam he was looking for. He pulled a nail file out of his pocket with his right hand, keeping his left against the seam, then stuck item into the seam and began moving it around. Eventually, the nail file hit a small catch underneath the floorboard. There was a '_click' _and Naruto was able to remove the board, lifting it up and setting it aside to reveal a hole about two square feet large.

Reaching inside Naruto pulled out all of the items he had stashed away, three different scrolls of varying color; one red, one blue and one green. He set the blue and green one on the floor while the red went onto his bed. Naruto unrolled the scroll, revealing the kanji of a storage seal written on the inside. A small application of chakra later and the contents were revealed to be a set of clothes. However, these weren't ordinary everyday clothing.

Quickly stripping out of his clothing Naruto picked up the first article he needed to put on. A black body suit that covered his entire frame and zipped up in the back. The suit was an armoured one piece where the fabrics used in it's creation were actually thousands of interwoven chain links of a durable, yet comfortable fabric that was form fitted to his frame and had been injected with a special brand of ink of Naruto's own creation. The ink was actually special fuīnjutsu ink that once enmeshed into the fabric of the clothing, and after Naruto used the proper activation handseals, created a powerful seal that not only regulated the temperature to keep the body at exactly one-hundred and ten degrees – which is Naruto's natural body heat – but also increased the durability of the fabric being used to that of steel. It provided the ultimate protection against projectiles, Naruto was even sure that the bullets of this world would be unable to actually penetrate his clothing, though he had no real desire to test that theory.

What went over that was a pair of pants, sturdy black pants that were made out of a durable fabric that wouldn't rip or tear during the rigors of combat. Around that, Naruto wrapped black bandages around his calves and ankles, which was followed by a pair of sturdy black combat boots. He wished he had his ninja sandals, but they'd been destroyed when he'd been brought to Gaia. These were unfortunately the best he could get at the moment. Following that, the blond put on a pair of armoured knee-pads that were painted a matte black so as not to reflect light.

With his lower half done, Naruto moved onto his torso. The first thing that went on was his shirt, a long sleeved shirt in the same black color as everything else he was wearing. Over this went a dark grey chest armour, the kind that the ANBU in his world would wear. A pair of black fingerless gloves with dull gray metal covering the back of his hand with the leaf symbol etched onto it was followed by reinforced ANBU style arm guards. Finishing up, Naruto strapped a belt across his waist, connecting the sheath with his Ōkatana to it. His last two additions were his weapon pouches, which he attached to a set of chords on the back of his belt, rather then strapping them to his thighs.

Rolling the scroll up Naruto grabbed the blue scroll. This was the scroll that contained all of the ordnance he had been stalk piling since he'd found the weapon smith that could create his ninja supplies in Sector Seven. Having always known a day like this would eventually come, Naruto had prepared as best he could by using as few weapons as possible and continuing to grow his stash. Within the main scroll were seven other scrolls, each one carrying even more scrolls with a set amount of kunai, shuriken, ninja wire, flash pellets, smoke bombs, explosive notes and caltrops. He quickly set about unsealing the scrolls until he got to the ones that he knew contained the weapons, then set aside a scroll for each weapon and sealed up the rest, before sealing the mother scroll inside of a seal on his left arm.

It was much the same with the green scroll, only that one contained medical supplies. It was also no where near as extensive as the other scroll, mainly because there were not as many medical supplies for Naruto to buy. Unlike his world, which had all kinds of balms and healing creams that dealt with various wounds, Gaia had very little in the way of medicinal supplies. A few ointments that dealt with things like poisons and the like and that was it. Still, it was better then nothing and Naruto had at least been able to make some of his own supplies, such as blood pills. While the mother scroll for this was sealed onto his right arm, the medical supplies ended up going into the pouch in the right side of his back, while his weapons went in the left.

Finally finished with his outfitting, Naruto left his room. Hearing talking still coming from Aerith's room, he realized that Tifa had not left yet. Knocking on the door, he waited until receiving permission to enter before opening the door and poking half his body inside. Tifa and Jessie both looked over to him, both of them taking in his appearance and clothing with startled looks. He ignored their expressions, as there were more important things to worry about.

"We'll be leaving for Shinra Headquarters soon," Naruto said without preamble. "If you still intend on coming, I would suggest getting ready."

Tifa nodded.

"Right."

Naruto tilted his head in acknowledgment, then turned his attention to Jessie, who flushed red and sat up a little straighter under his gaze.

"Elmyra will allow you to stay for as long as you'd like. I would recommend staying here until we get back, but if you don't feel like doing that, wait for at least a month before leaving. I'll leave some instructions on how to get in touch with the few contacts I've made in Midgar, some of whom will be able to get you out of the city should you choose to leave."

"T-Thank you," Jessie stuttered, her voice soft as she looked down at the fiddling hands in her lap. From the blush she was wearing Naruto easily realized she may have gained a slight crush on him. It was not entirely unexpected, but he knew that it was merely a case of hero worship syndrome. He sighed silently, but didn't say anything as he gave her a quick nod before leaving the room. Making his way back downstairs, Naruto found Barret and Cloud had finished packing away the supplies they would be bringing. It wasn't much, just the ammo that Barret needed for his gun and some materia, but it should be fine considering Naruto was something of a walking armory at the moment.

They both noticed his entrance and looked over at him, their minds blanking out for a second when they noticed how he was dressed. Barret would be the one who snapped out of his stupor and decided to make a comment.

"The hell kind of costume is that?"

Naruto gave him a mirthless smile.

"Where I come from this outfit is used by the most Elite members of the military unit in my village, otherwise known as the ANBU. I suppose you could consider us to be a mixture of the Turks and first-class SOLDIER's in that we were the most powerful fighting force of our home and experts at intelligence gathering and espionage."

Absently, Naruto wondered why he was being so forthcoming with information about his home to these people. He didn't know them. Hell, given what he'd seen recently from Barret's actions, Naruto wasn't even sure if he could trust them. However, his instincts were telling him that these were good people, and they were going to be a team. There could be no secrets between teammates, lest it create rising tension and mistrust in the future. So long as they didn't ask where he came from, he would have no trouble telling them a little about himself.

"Really?" Barret looked Naruto up and down before shrugging. "So you guys were some kinda super-soldiers or something?"

"Or something," Naruto joked as he walked over to the pair. Barret gave an annoyed grunt at being answered in such a roundabout fashion, but didn't say anything. Likely because he knew he wouldn't get an answer. Naruto stopped in front of the table, "are you both ready?"

"I'm ready," Cloud said, adjusting the hilt of his blade for easy access.

"As ready as I'll ever be," Barret grunted as he stood up. His gun-arm whirred, as if eager to be used again. "I'm jus' gonna say goo'bye to Jessie." Naruto nodded and watched as Barret stalked passed him and stomped up the staircase, his heavy footfalls growing only somewhat softer the higher up he went.

It wasn't long before Barret, along with Tifa came back downstairs. During that time Elmyra and Marlene came inside from playing in the flower garden Naruto and Aerith had cultivated. The little girl seemed to love the garden, and had complimented Naruto on it several times already. Most men would likely have been embarrassed about being good at something as 'girly' as gardening, but the blond had been well-known for being unlike most people. Even in Konoha it had been no secret that the whiskered shinobi had a green thumb that often made Ino Yamanaka jealous.

Just before leaving Naruto turned to look at everyone in the room, those who would be coming with him at least.

"Are all of you sure that you want to come with me?" he asked. His question seemed to surprise them, but Naruto wanted to give them one last chance to back out. Unlike everyone else with the possible exception of Cloud, who likely knew Shinra better then he did, the whiskered blond knew that with a large group like theirs, the chances of them getting out unscathed was very slim. Therefore he needed to be sure that no one was holding any doubts about doing this.

"What's with this all of a sudden?" groused Barret. "You havin' second thoughts or somethin'?"

"Not at all." Naruto shook his head. "However, infiltrating Shinra Headquarters isn't going to be easy. This will be nothing like when you guys blew up the reactors. The security there is much tighter, and the chances of us getting out of this unscathed are very slim."

"Be that as it may, we've already decided to go with you," Tifa said before anyone else could. Deciding to add a more personal note in, she added, "if I didn't go with you guys, I think I would go insane with worry. At least this way, I can keep an eye on all of you and ensure that you don't get yourselves into trouble." She didn't need to add that she wanted to rescue Aerith because she felt guilty. Almost everyone in there group felt that Aerith's capture was there fault in some way.

"I know Shinra better then anyone else," Cloud added from where he stood, leaning against the wall on the right side of the mahogany door. "You're going to need my expertise if you want to successfully infiltrate their Headquarters."

Naruto decided not to burst the ex-SOLDIER's bubble by informing him that he had already infiltrated Shinra headquarters four times within the past year. Instead he settled for nodding. Everyone soon began saying their goodbyes, the one between Barret and Marlene was particularly heartfelt. Naruto stood back from the group, watching. He'd never been good at saying goodbye. Of course, Elmyra saw him standing by the door looking aloof, and headed over to him.

"Not going to say goodbye to me?"

Naruto shook his head, but smiled.

"Saying goodbye implies we won't be seeing each other again," he said lightly. "I have every intention of coming back here with Aerith."

Elmyra smiled at the young man. She had confidence that he would do exactly as he said. Her smile, however, soon took on a sly look that looked decidedly out of place on her motherly face.

"And when you bring Aerith back, can I expect to you and my daughter to have gotten over your hesitation with each other about moving into a deeper and more meaningful relationship?"

Naruto nearly choked on his own spit. His face took on a very light pink hue that he quickly shook off. Not looking at Elmyra he said, "ah ha, would you look at the time, we'd better get going." He quickly turned to the others and shouted. "Alright people! It's time to move out! Let's get going!"

Everyone stopped what they were doing to look at Naruto, who briskly walked out of the door, leaving a slightly amused Elmyra behind. Barret managed to sum up their thoughts very well.

"The hells his problem?"

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>"So how exactly are we going to get into the Shinra Headquarters?" asked Tifa as they walked along the Slums to Sector Six. After Naruto had run out on them, the three other members of the group had quickly followed and caught up. Now Tifa and the others were looking at the blond curiously, waiting for an answer from him since he seemed to be the most experienced of the group.<p>

Well, Cloud and Tifa were waiting for an answer, Barret was grumbling in the back. He still didn't like the fact that Naruto had been nominated the leader of their little group. Granted, the blond _was _the only person who had any real investment in sneaking into Shinra Headquarters, _and _he was the only one who apparently had experience in infiltration, and it probably didn't help that the others had more or less just decided to tag along, himself included, but that still didn't mean Barret had to like it. So while the other two members walked up ahead with Naruto in the hopes of getting their answers, Barret hung back and grumbled quietly to himself about 'spiky-headed bastards'.

"We'll be heading to Wall Market," Naruto answered as he strode at a fast pace. He didn't even bother to look as he continued walking along the destroyed and uplifted roadway. "All of the trains have stopped transporting passengers, for security reasons. I guess until they confirm that all the members of AVALANCHE are dead they won't be restarting the trains. If that's the case, we need to get information on other ways to reach the upper plate."

It was a pain in the ass, especially for Naruto. He _had _other ways to reach the upper plate and Shinra Headquarters. It just so happened his way involved the tree climbing technique, which no one in this world was capable of. And as much as it sucked, he couldn't just leave these three to themselves. They may find a way to the top without him, but as the designated leader of the group, he couldn't just let them go off on their own.

Being a leader was more than just leading the charge after all. A leader had a responsibility to those he was leading, it was his job to get them in and out of whatever mission they were on safely, to ensure that none of those under his command died, to put himself in harms way if it meant their safety. Being a leader was about ensuring that the people who are putting their trust in you and their faith in your abilities home so they could see their loved ones again. It was something he had learned during the war, when he had been forced into a position of leadership before he was truly ready.

Shaking his head, Naruto continued where he left off. "Even if Wall Market itself doesn't have a way to reach the upper plate, you can bet that someone there will have information on how to do so."

Tifa gave a silent nod as her question was answered. Aside from the occasional grumbling of Barret, the sound of their footsteps echoing across the landscape, and the crunch that came when they stepped on something less sturdy then pavement, the rest of the trip was made in silence.

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>"Now, Barret. Remember to let me do the talking."<p>

"Yeah, yeah, I got ya'."

Behind Naruto and Barret, Cloud and Tifa shared an amused glance. Ever since they had entered Wall Market, their – newly designated – leader had made it a point to tell Barret that he was not to do the talking.

"Seriously, the last thing we need is someone starting a rumor that a man with a gun-arm was threatening them. We don't want Shinra to know we're alive."

"I said I understand, dammit!"

Wall Market was deceptively empty that day, only a few people were roaming around, looking at the various stalls. With news of the plate on Sector Seven being dropped, most people just seemed to be much more wary about going out. It wasn't that unexpected if someone took the time to think about it. When dealing with destruction and death on such a massive scale, human instinct either goes one of two ways; to hide until such a time as it's safe to come out, or to take up arms and fight, very few ever ended up doing something different. Not that hiding in this instance would do any good. It wasn't like they would survive getting a plate dropped on them if they hid themselves.

Then again taking up arms probably wouldn't be a good idea either. This came from the fact that no one would even know who to fight in this instance. Shinra, the large company that ruled the world and controlled all electricity was nearly unstoppable, and Naruto doubted anyone but the most insane of individuals would be willing to fight them head on. Which did make him question the sanity of those who he had allied himself with. Sanity of his current companions aside, if people took up arms and fought it would most likely be with each other in the form of large scale rioting. Nothing good would come out of that, nothing.

Naruto and his companions walked into the bar, the one that he, Cloud, and Aerith had come into during the Don Corneo incident. Much like the streets outside, the inside was deceivingly empty. There were only two patrons in all, one seated in a booth in the corner, a mousy looking man who seemed ready to jump at his own shadow. And a belligerent looking drunk that was loudly drinking from a bottle with several other empty bottles around him. Naruto ignored the two as he walked up to the bar and sat down. The bartender looked at him, his eyes lighting in slight recognition. The blond was just about to toss some coins to the man when Barret slammed his hand down on the table.

"Tell us what you know about getting to the upper plate!"

Resisting the urge to face palm, Naruto turned from the startled – and now frightened – bartender, who was secretly going for a gun he had hidden under the table, to the large black man with the gun arm.

"Barret," Naruto said in a dangerous tone, killing intent leaking from his every pour. The big man's reaction to his killing intent was an instant stiffening of every limb, like he had been paralyzed. No matter what command he tried to give, his body simply wouldn't move. All he could do was look at the blond who was glaring at him. "What did I tell you about keeping your mouth shut?"

If Barret's mouth had been working, he may have answered. It would have probably been something along the lines of 'this is how I've always done things' or 'I'm more leader material then you, I should be the one doing this'. It was very fortunate for him that he could not talk, since Naruto had no time to deal with the man's arguments at his ability to lead.

"I apologize for my friend," Naruto said in a calm voice as he slowly released Barret from the cold grip of his killing intent. Behind him, the big man's body relaxed. A second later he looked angry, and were it not for Cloud and Tifa placing a hand on each shoulder, he may have tried clobbering the blond shinobi over the head with his gun-arm. "My friend has a daughter who is on the upper plate right now. We've been trying to reach her to see if she's ok, but communications seem to be down."

It was a standard procedure for anyone doling out information. Shut down all methods of communication so people can't talk to each other until you are ready to give out the misinformation that you want the general populace to know. By keeping people from talking, you ensure that those few who might know the truth can't tell others until it's too late. There had been many times that Naruto himself had used such methods of dealing out misinformation to enemies of Konoha, though it had been much easier in the Elemental Nations since telephones didn't exist there.

"Understandable," the said, calming down slightly. His eyes still flickered worriedly over to Barret, almost as if he was expecting the man to jump him at any moment. However, the man hadn't moved since Cloud and Tifa restrained him, though he still looked quite belligerent. The bartender's gaze moved back over to Naruto as he finished cleaning the glass and set it down. "So I take it you people are looking for a way up top?"

"That's right," Naruto said. He pulled out two-hundred gil and set the coins down on the table. The man eyed the coins greedily. His left hand came up to swipe the coins off the table and into the cup he had made with the bottom of his stained shirt. As he did so, Naruto continued. "We were hoping there was a way to reach the upper plate. Do you know of one?"

"I may know something." The man licked his lips in an attempt to dry them. Leaning in, he cupped his mouth and whispered. "Now that the plate fell, the kids go up when they want. Climbing up the stacks of metal, up the wires, up the plate. They stand and they watch as Shinra bumbles about. And the children are smart; they stay back, out of sight. If they can do it, so can you, yes?" The bartender began gesturing with his arms. "North of here, near the mansion is where you'll find the place. You see the children, you'll know you're there."

"Thanks."

Standing up Naruto made his way out of the bar, Barret and the others soon followed. As soon as they were outside, Naruto whirled on Barret and fixed him with another glare. There was no killing intent, but in spite of that fact the larger man froze the instant those eyes were upon him. Glowing blue eyes filled with unfathomable power and depth staring at him with the intensity of a hurricane. It was impossible for him to do anything less.

"Barret," Naruto hissed out in an angry tone. "I thought I told you to keep your trap shut and let me do the talking?"

"This is how I always do things," was Barret's response, and the response Naruto suspected the man would give.

"And look at where that's gotten you," Naruto snapped out his reply. Barret bristled, but before he had a chance to actually say anything, the blond continued. "I don't care how you did things in the past. You have decided to come with me on _my _mission to rescue Aerith, and I have let you, but if you think for one second that I won't drop your ass off here than you are mistaken. Pull a move like that again and you'll be walking back to Elmyra's house alone. Got it?" Barret grumbled something that sounded belligerent and Naruto was quick to lash at him again. "What was that?"

"I said I got it," Barret gruffed with annoyance. Naruto continued to glare at the man, his glowing blue eyes gaining an icy sheen that had the much larger male squirming in discomfort. After a few seconds, Naruto turned his back to the man with the gun arm and began walking, forcing the others to follow.

Being in the back, Cloud and Tifa had seen the whole confrontation. Tifa had thought about interrupting them, though for what reason even she didn't know, whether it was to defend Barret or berate him, but a hand on her shoulder from Cloud stopped that possible action in it's tracks. And so they both watched as Naruto verbally tore into the former AVALANCHE leader once more, then whirled around and began marching down the dirty streets.

"I never thought I would say this about him," Tifa started as she began walking once more. She went slowly, sticking with Cloud as they hung behind a grumbling Barret. "But Naruto can be pretty scary when he wants to be."

Cloud gave her a nod in agreement. "When he get's like that he reminds me of one of the SOLDIER commanders I used to work under." A shiver escaped him as he thought about that particular commander. Even now thinking about _him _gave Cloud the chills. Tifa eyed her childhood friend for a moment, her gaze slightly concerned when she saw him shiver. She was about to open her mouth and speak when another voice spoke up before her.

"Hurry up you two, you're falling behind!"

"Coming!" They both shouted out at the same time. With a glance at each other, one amused and one nonplussed, they began to chase after their two compatriots as they got farther and farther away.

Going on the directions the man had given him, the blond shinobi began making his way north. It didn't take all that long for him to see the kids that the bartender was speaking of, three of them, running into an alleyway off to Naruto's right.

"Wanna see something awesome!? Follow me!"

Naruto followed behind the kids as they ran. Barret caught up to him, muscling his way up to the blonds side with a minor grunt. Cloud and Tifa followed behind. There they found one of the kids, a little girl with short brown hair, wearing a red suspenders dress with a white shirt looking up a dirty wall covered in grime and graffiti, large lettering with various words and symbols. The girl was standing next to a large wire that stretched out far beyond the height of the wall, reaching up towards the large and twisted metal structure that would be there way to the upper plate. As they reached the little girl and stopped behind her, she turned and looked at them all in surprise.

Smiling at the kid, Naruto knelt down and asked, "did everyone else climb up this wire?"

At seeing the friendly smile, the girl became at ease. It was almost fascinating how children could quite often tell when someone was dangerous to them and when someone wasn't. She nodded her head up and down in large, enthusiastic motions.

"Uh huh... they all climbed up to the top of the wall. I want to go with them, but it looks scary."

Tifa leaned forward ever so slightly, placing her hands on her knees as she favored the girl with a gentle smile.

"Do you mind if we climb up this?"

Another nod came from the girl.

"Yeah. It leads to the upper world."

"Well, it looks like we found out way up," Naruto commented idly as he looked up, trying to see if he could see the top. He couldn't, even his chakra enhanced vision had trouble seeing that high up.

"Are you sure we can climb this thing?" asked Cloud. He looked uncertain, not that Naruto could blame him. What they were about to do was probably stupidity bordering on insanity, but there was no other way for all of them to get to the upper plate. This was the only way. "We don't even know how far it goes up."

"There IS a way," Barret said, determined. He pointed to the wire and asked, "what do you see when you look at this thing?"

Cloud looked at the wire, then back at Barret, before turning to the wire again. He raised an eyebrow before shrugging. "A wire?"

"To you, that may look like just a normal wire. But to me it looks like a golden shiny wire of hope."

Silence met his statement. The other three members of the group all gave deadpan looks at the big man's words. Naruto shook his head, resisting the urge to face palm.

"Seriously? Shiny metal wire of hope? That has got to be the lamest analogy I've ever heard. I don't even know if it can be called an analogy." Barret growled at Naruto who just chuckled a bit. "Still, I understand what you're trying to say. This is the only way to save Aerith, if we don't take this risk, then we might as well give up now."

"I agree with Naruto," Tifa said, surprising everyone. They looked at her to see the determined expression on her face. She was going up there to rescue the person who had risked herself for Marlene's sake and gotten caught because of it, and damn anyone who told her otherwise. "We can't afford to back out now."

Cloud looked at the other three before sighing. "Alright, I can see where you're all going with this. If this is our only way up, then we have no choice but to take it."

Their attention shifted to the girl when she giggled at them.

"You guys are funny," she said, moving out of the way so they could climb the wire. Naruto grinned at the girl.

"We do our best."

Standing in front of the wire Naruto took a quick split-second to decide how he should climb it. Really, a part of him, the old part that had been buried during the Fourth Great Shinobi War and been rediscovered during his stay on Gaia wanted to show off and simply walk up the wire using his gravity defying tree walking technique. The other part of him, that of the cold, merciless ninja that he had been required to become in order to survive told him that he shouldn't show anymore then necessary to ascend to the upper plate, even to his allies.

In the end the shinobi side of him won. He could show off later if the skill ever became needed.

Grabbing onto the wire with both hands, Naruto began his ascend, placing one hand in front of the other, his feet following the same pattern as he moved up the wall. He did apply some minor chakra manipulation to help his grip, but to anyone else, it would look like he was simply climbing up like a normal person. Barret, Cloud and Tifa watched as the blond climbed before they too began making the journey to the upper plate.

The climb up was difficult right from the get go. Upon reaching the end of the wire it soon became apparent that they wouldn't be able to just 'climb' up to the top. Aside from gaps in the wreckage that had once been a part of the upper plate, the twist and turns involved in navigating through the debris was made all the more difficult by the fact that some areas required them to make precisely timed jumps and/or swings from long chords to cover large gaps in the twisted and broken metal structure. The only one who had no troubles with this – much to the displeasure of everyone else – was Naruto, who Barret, Cloud and Tifa found out was simply capable of jumping fifteen meter gaps on his own.

Despite the hardships the group steadily continued climbing. Moving along steel girders that had once reached into the sky, but were now nothing more then scrap; climbing along metal pipes that twisted and turned in so many directions it was sometimes hard to keep track of where they were going. There was no true path to get to the top, sometimes they would be forced to double back when it became clear that the area they were trying to climb was unstable, others they needed to map out a route before hand so they wouldn't get confused about where they should go. Naruto once again surprised Barret with his Kage Bunshin no Jutsu, which they made great use of in finding the right paths to take. It wasn't long, comparatively speaking, that the four of them reached the upper plate and found themselves staring at the large building that was Shinra's Base of Operations.

Naruto and the others found themselves hiding out in a small alley just a few meters from the area they had first arrived in, looking up at the Shinra Headquarters. The chopping sound of a helicopter flying overhead came to them, the chopper itself was only visible as a black silhouette in the sky. Barret looked at the large, dominating building with a frown before turning his attention to Cloud.

"Hey, you outta know this building well, right?"

"Not really," Cloud shook his head, keeping most of his attention focused on the building before them. "Now that I think about, this is the first time I've ever been to Shinra headquarters."

Barret nodded but didn't seem to actually be listening as he began speaking. "I've heard about this place. Every floor above the 60th is special and not easy to get into, even for employees. Must be where they took Aerith. Security looks pretty light right now. Awight, let's go!"

"Hold it, big man," Naruto said, grabbing Barret just as he tried to muscle passed him. He clammed down on the man's shoulder, hard. The much larger and stronger looking of the two tried to pull out of the whiskered blond's grip, but soon found that it was nearly impossible, his muscles bulged and he even tried to use his body weight and gravity to overcome Naruto's grip, but nothing worked, the hand gripping his shoulder was ironclad. Just how strong was this skinny blond dude? "Going through the front door is tantamount to suicide. While security may _look _light, I can guarantee it isn't."

Here the blond directed everyone's attention towards the six surveillance cameras that were covering the front door... there were another four that were covering several other angles. Each one gave an overlapping field of vision with the others, ensuring that there were no blind spots between them.

"You see those cameras? The moment those cameras see a large bear of a man with a gun grafted on his arm stomping into the place, they're going to know we survived the destruction of the Sector 7 plate. Then they'll have security guards and Shinra troops on our ass faster then you can say Gaia. So, unless you want to be pumped full of lead before we can even make it off the first floor, we need to find another way in."

Barret actually managed something Naruto had never heard before, mixing a gulp and a growl. He looked incredibly disgruntled at being told they couldn't just barge in, at the same time he was probably relieved at getting stopped before running into all those security cameras. Cloud looked at Naruto with a frown.

"From the way you're talking, it sounds as if you have experience with things like this."

"I do," Naruto admitted. "In fact, I'm half sure the reason they have so many security cameras is because of the times I myself managed to infiltrate this building." The looks of shock he received caused the blond to chuckle. "What? They were after Aerith. Do you think I would just leave them alone and let them attack without learning everything I could about them."

"So then you know how to get in?" asked Tifa, sounding hopeful. She had been pretty nervous about infiltrating the headquarters of her enemy, but if Naruto had already snuck in then it should be simple for them to simply replicate the feat.

"I do, but none of you are capable of entering the way I can."

And then her world came crashing down around her.

Cloud frowned.

"Why is that?"

"Because normally, when I infiltrate Shinra I do so under my transformation jutsu. I usually transform into one of the workers I've tagged in the past year and that allows me access up to the 60th floor. Because I'm the only who can do it, and only you guys and Aerith know about this ability, it's allowed me to easily infiltrate Shinra headquarters no matter how tight their security was. With you guys it will be different, I can't just transform, walk through the front door and leave you here." Naruto paused, then amended his statement. "Well, I could, but I'm going to need your help in protecting Aerith during our escape. I don't fancy taking on Shinra alone while trying to protect Aerith at the same time."

Everyone nodded at his sound explanation. It made sense. However, that still left one problem.

"So how are we going to get inside?" A problem that Tifa was more than willing to point out.

"I've already got our entrance," Naruto said, gesturing for them to follow him. They did so, Barret reluctantly looking back at the entrance before following. Naruto led them through a series of pipes and steel girders before reaching a ladder that he quickly climbed up. Everyone copied his actions and made their way onto the roof of a small side junction just off the main entrance. Naruto walked over to the side of the building and reached for a square ventilation shaft, it was about half the size of a person, even Barret would be capable of fitting through it, though he would have to get on his hands and knees and crawl.

Pulling out a small multi-tool set, Naruto began quietly opening the shaft.

"This ventilation shaft leads to a stairwell that will take us to the 59th floor."

As Naruto finished unscrewing the last bolt and pulled the duct blocking the entrance, Barret groaned.

"Are you tellin' me we're goin' to hafta take the stairs all the way to the top?"

"Yes," Naruto replied firmly, if a little bemusedly as well. "They're more then likely to have security cameras in the elevator. This stairway has been for the most part, forgotten. I doubt the security team even remembers this place exists. It's more then likely the only way we'll be able to get inside unnoticed." A smirk made it's way to the blonds lips as he looked at Barret. "Of course, if you don't feel up to the task, you don't have to come with us."

"What was that!?" Barret growled, shaking his gun-arm at Naruto angrily. "Listen here you spiky-headed bastard, I'm more then capable of climbing up a couple stairs! This is will be no problem!"

"I'm glad to hear that," Naruto said, smiling in the way that said he was very pleased with himself. "Now come on, times a wastin."

As Naruto walked into the shaft, Cloud smirked at Barret.

"I think he just played you."

Barret seemed to realize this a few seconds later. As Tifa giggled behind him, the big man's shoulders drooped.

"Shuddup."

In an attempt to keep whatever dignity he had left, Barret quickly stomped into the ventilation shaft. He had to crouch down to get in, and when he did both his hands and feet made a lot of noise that bounced around the vent as he stomped his way towards the other blond in their group. Naruto looked up to see an angry Barret and chuckled, causing the big man to scowl further. He wouldn't get the chance to say anything, however, as Naruto lifted up the access panel he had been working on and set it aside, then crawled out into the room beyond.

When everyone found themselves standing in the stairwell, Barret looked up and whistled.

"Damn, that's a lot of stairs."

"Well what did you expect?" asked Tifa with a huff. "We'll be climbing 59 floors with this thing."

"Are you sure there ain't another way?"

"Quit complaining."

Barret watched on in irritation as everyone began moving up the stairs at a quick trot. Grumbling to himself, the man with the gun-arm made to follow.

"I ain't cut out for this shit."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Barret huffed and wheezed as he followed the others up another flight of stairs. Looking at the level he was on he groaned.<p>

It was only the 12th floor.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Huff... huff... Don't know... why... the hell... we gotta... climb..."<p>

Cloud rolled his eyes at Barret before seeing the floor they had reached.

20th floor.

"Because we don't want to start any trouble until after we've rescued Aerith," Naruto said from several flights above them. The shinobi seemed to be having no trouble climbing up the stairs. In fact, aside from a light sheen of sweat, Naruto didn't look tired at all.

Barret hated him for that.

Cloud nodded his head, but couldn't help but add.

"It may not be possible for us to rescue Aerith without detection."

"... heh heh heh..."

At Barrets wheezing chuckle, Cloud looked over his shoulder as he ran and glared at the man.

"Knock it off, you're giving me the creeps."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"So, even... even you will... fight for someone else... I had you... figured wrong... I... guess..."<p>

Cloud frowned at Barret's panted and barely audible words. It was only after running the sentence through his head several times that he finally made out what the much larger man was talking about.

"Who cares what you figured!"

Barret huffed.

"I'm jus'... jus' sayin'... mebbe I was... wrong..."

Naruto and Tifa shared a chuckle.

"Of course you were," the friendly blond of the group said. "Cloud may not seem like it, but once you get to know him you'll realize that he's just a big softie. Kind of like you, fuzzy."

Barret and Cloud both glared at the blonds back. Tifa snickered into her hand.

30th floor.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Guh... just how much... longer do these... stairs go on..."<p>

Annoyed at Barret's constantly complaining and beginning to tire herself, Tifa snapped at him.

"Why don't you ask them?"

"Oooh burn..."

Barret glared at Naruto's unneeded comment, but didn't reply as he said, "you don't think... maybe this is... one of them... endless stairways... do ya?"

Tifa rolled her eyes as she huffed and panted.

"Of course not!"

"Right... couldn't be that..."

35th floor.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Are we there yet?"<p>

"Not yet."

…

"... there yet?"

Tifa's right eye twitched.

"I said not yet!"

…

"Yo..."

"Oh for the love of – Barret, shut up!"

Naruto snickered at the beautiful woman's anger, earning him a fierce glare from said woman.

"You shut up too!"

"I didn't say anything."

40th floor.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Dammit!... I've had it... I'm goin'... back down!"<p>

Tifa, Naruto and Cloud all rolled their eyes as Barret continued griping. It would be the female of the trio that made the most obvious comment on what problem the big man would face if he went back downstairs.

"And take just as long going down as you did coming up?"

"..."

Barret was silent and Tifa was pleased that he seemed to realize her point so quickly. Or it could just be that he was too far gone to really snap back at her. They had been traveling for quite a while after all, and were it not for her training, Tifa was sure she would be just as exhausted as Barret. She looked ahead of her to see Naruto and Cloud running side-by-side, neither looking more then mildly winded. She felt a moments jealousy at the pair.

Why couldn't she have stamina like that?

Looking back she noticed that Barret had stopped, forcing her to as well.

"C'mon Barret! Pull yourself together!"

Cloud and Naruto both stopped at Tifa's yell and looked back to see Barret looking ready to pass out. He was bent over, hands on his knees, huffing and puffing as he tried to regain his breath.

"Yeah, well, all I know is I'm jus' flesh n' blood... 'cept for this arm of mine..." He breathed in threw his mouth and out the nose, his nostrils flaring like a horse. "Don't treat me like some ex-member of SOLDIER or somethin'..."

"I'm not an ex-member of SOLDIER," Naruto responded cheekily. "And I'm doing just fine."

"Shut up you!" Barret roared before puffing some more, as just that little shout took more energy out of him than it should have. "You... you mus' be... some kind of... super-freak... if this ain't tiring you out..."

Tifa huffed in anger as she looked at Barret.

"And what about me? I'm human too!" She paused before turning around. "Oh, whatever. Do what you want, I'm going on!"

"Finally," Naruto said, rolling his eyes as he and Cloud began running again. "I was afraid you two squabbling kids would keep at it all day."

Tifa's response was immediate and mature.

"Oh, shut up!"

45th floor.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Yo... what floor is this?"<p>

"I gave up counting."

"Why they gotta... build these... buildings so damn... tall...? That Shinra... they're just... no damn good..."

"..."

For once, Tifa decided not to say anything to Barret's griping. She agreed with him whole-heartedly.

50th floor.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Man... I'm beat...Marlene... daddy wanted to... to see your face... one more time..."<p>

"Would you stop acting like a retard and climb!? It's just a bit more!... Maybe..."

Naruto and Cloud shared a look as Barret and Tifa continued to argue. Both of them shook their head and rolled their eyes. Call it blond synchronicity.

55th floor.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>It was a long time coming, but the group of four, two spiky-headed blonds, one busty brunette, and a large black man with a gun grafted directly into his arm, made it to the top of the stairs.<p>

"F... Finally... m... made it..."

Barret huffed, puffed and wheezed. He looked like he had just ran cross-country from Konoha to Suna without stopping for rest or water breaks. He leaning over, hands on his knees with his shirt caked in so much sweat it looked like he had jumped into a swimming pool. His face was flush so red from the exertion of running up that stairs that it was clearly visible on his dark skin. Compared to Naruto and Cloud, both of whom barely looked winded, he looked like he was going to die.

"N... never wanna... see no more stairs for the rest of my life..."

"Huff... puff... for once, I agree with you," Tifa muttered, she didn't look nearly as dead on her feet as Barret, but she as much worse off than Cloud or Naruto. While her breathing was still even, her body was caked in a layer of sweat. Several droplets of the salty water ran down her forehead, caressing her cheek and gliding across her neck. Unable to keep their gazes off the woman, Naruto and Cloud watched as a mischievous drop of water blazed a trail in between her breasts, disappearing within the cleavage of her shirt.

It seemed that even tired, exhausted, and completely sticky and gross, women like Tifa still managed to make just about everything they did sexy without meaning to.

"Damn, you are one lucky guy Cloud," Naruto commented jokingly. Cloud looked at him and blinked.

"Huh?"

"Nothing, nothing." Naruto waved his fellow blond off and, deciding it would not be wise to tease anyone right now, focused on his two exhausted allies. He couldn't quite blame them for being so tired, unlike him they couldn't channel chakra to increase their strength and endurance, nor did they have demonically enhanced stamina. And unlike Cloud their bodies weren't enhanced by Mako. Still, it wouldn't do any good if they began the mission in earnest while exhausted like that.

"We'll take a small break here," Naruto stated to everyone. "Once you two have finished catching your breath we'll begin infiltrating Shinra Headquarters."

As soon as he said that, Cloud leaned against the wall right next to the door, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked at Naruto.

"You have a plan, I take it?"

"Only a basic one," Naruto admitted reluctantly. He had been trying to think of a way to sneak into Shinra Headquarters undetected with all four of them, but the simple fact was that it was just not possible. Aside from the fact that Naruto was the only one who had any stealth training, there was also the fact that even _if _Barret, Cloud and Tifa were experts on stealth, it wouldn't make a difference. The security cameras that were located all throughout the building were nearly impossible to sneak past. The only reason Naruto had ever been able to do so was because of his transformation technique.

However, just because he didn't think it would be possible for them to get out undetected, didn't mean he didn't have some kind of plan to give.

"Right now we are on 59th floor. This floor is essentially a hallway, an interval room that leads to the upper levels where only Shinra Executives are allowed access."

"So how to do we get to them other rooms?" asked Barret.

"We need to steal a keycard from one of the guards on this floor." Naruto frowned for a moment. "It should give us access to the 60th floor, which is a security checkpoint and we'll be able to sneak to the 61st floor through there." He gazed at the other with a serious look on his face. "I want you all to wait right here while I get us a keycard. We don't want to set off any alarms by killing someone."

"How are you going to get a keycard?" Tifa wondered out loud.

Naruto smirked as the materia inside of his arm began to glow.

"Simple, by becoming invisible. Meisaigakure No Jutsu."

With that, Naruto's form shimmered and then vanished, startling everyone else in the stairwell. The door that Cloud was next to opened, as if on it's own, then shut without making any noise, not even a groan. As soon as the door closed, Barret began harping.

"The hell does he do that?" the big man asked, looking both startled and annoyed. "I ain't never seen no one become invisible like that. The fuck is he? Some kind a magician?"

"I don't know but..." Tifa looked at the doorway and frowned. "His abilities really are strange, aren't they? Physical copies, turning invisible, that blue orb thingy he created in the sewers..."

"Blue orb thingy?"

"It was like a ball of energy that he can hold in his hand," Tifa said to Barret's questioning tone. "But I agree with you. I've never seen anyone with abilities like his. It makes you wonder. How come we've never heard of him before? And where does he come from?"

Cloud didn't say anything as he listened to Tifa and Barret's conversation. He did have a frown marring his face, however, as he too had been wondering the same things. Naruto was a mystery to all of them. He was just as physically fit as Cloud was, easily able to keep stride with him while running up the stairs. He had strange abilities, which was supposedly from very unique materia that only he could use. Not to mention the way he used said materia was by shoving directly into his arm and not placing it in his weapon like a normal person. Yeah, things definitely weren't as they seemed with their newest companion.

At the very least, Cloud knew that Naruto wasn't with Shinra thanks to Aerith and Elmyra. If nothing else, he could take comfort in the fact that their current leader was unlikely to give them up to Shinra.

A few seconds later, the door opened, conversation halted, and as the door closed Naruto reappeared in a shimmer.

"Alright you guys, I've got a keycard," he said, holding the car up for them to see. "Now I want you all to follow me, there are several security cameras that are on this floor and we'll need to take a specific route to bypass them all."

"Before we get to any o' that, I've got a question," Barret grunted. "What kind of magic was that? How can you do shit like that?"

"I don't think now is the time to ask something like that," Naruto replied coldly. "Especially since the longer we wait here, the more time we're giving the security guard I stole this from a chance to realize it's missing." Barret opened his mouth to protest, but Naruto beat him to the punch. "I will answer all of your questions later. Like, when we have Aerith and are safe from Shinra. Now come on."

Just as silently as before, Naruto opened the door just a crack, looking around before opening it more fully. Barret grumbled a bit but didn't react otherwise at being rebuffed. Naruto walked out, gesturing for everyone to follow him as he looked back and forth. They did so, going in single file behind the blond, Cloud first with Tifa in the middle and Barret taking the rear. They took a very unusual path through the floor, Naruto wound through the hallways of this floor in a timed pattern. At first, Cloud wondered why, but then noticed the security cameras and realized he was doing it to bypass them. In several minutes they had managed to make it to the elevator with little to no trouble.

The walls were thick glass, and through them he could see Midgar stretched out before him. Grey skyscrapers stood far below, towering themselves over the distant moving lights in the streets. Curling green smoke moved into the sky, Mako Reactors pumping hard. Before Barret could press the button that would cause the elevator to move, Naruto placed a hand on his arm.

"Not yet."

"What do ya mean 'not yet'?"

"I managed to find some disguises for you guys while I nabbed the keycard from the cards. I want you all to get dressed."

Tifa frowned.

"When did you have time to find us disguises?"

Naruto grinned at her.

"I'm a ninja, Tif," the new nickname seemed to startle the girl as she blinked at him several times. Naruto ignored that as he continued. "Sneaking around and disguising myself is a specialty of mine. It wasn't too hard for me to find a set for each of you."

With that said, Naruto pulled out a small scroll he had hid the disguises in and unsealed the contents. He handed off a large orange janitors outfit to a surprised Barret, Cloud caught a guards uniform and Tifa was given her own outfit. Barret squeezed into a giant janitor's outfit. The big man gave an angry pout as Tifa happily popped an ugly gray cap atop his head. Tifa herself slipped on the comfortable dark blue clothes of a technician. Naruto gave her a clipboard to help complete the image. The blond then turned to look at Cloud, who was readjusting the sword on his back.

"That thing is going to stick out to much," Naruto muttered, holding out his hand. "Here, we'll seal it up like we did during the Don Corneo incident."

Cloud frowned. He really didn't like people touching his sword, it held sentimental value, even if he couldn't remember why. However, he also knew that Naruto was right. Shinra Security guards used machine guns. The large buster sword would stick out like a sore thumb. Silently, he gave the large weapon to Naruto who sealed it up inside of a storage scroll.

With the weapon sealed up, Naruto's form shimmered until he was wearing what Cloud recognized as the uniform of a first-class SOLDIER. It looked a lot like the one Cloud himself had been wearing, but instead of one shoulder pouldren on the right shoulder, this one had two, one on each shoulder. It was also newer, Cloud's was of an old design, out of date and very likely to be recognized as such. This one looked like the newest outfit members of SOLDIER wore. The now not whiskered male looked at himself, satisfied, then took another look at the card. For some reason, it wouldn't let them go to the top floor: the 70th. Instead, they had to settle with the 65th.

The silver doors slid aside as they reached the 65th floor. Naruto led the way, still dressed as a first-class member of SOLDIER. Cloud dressed in his guard uniform, Barret the janitor, and Tifa the technician followed in his footsteps. They stepped into a giant room, extending as far as the floor reached. A thin man looked up from the book he was hunched over. He sat at a broad wooden desk with a small lamp and telephone. All around him and all across the room were bookshelves. The shelves were filled with fat books and stacked documents. At the bottom of each shelf was a golden nameplate, marking each shelf's purpose and contents. To the side of the desk stood the glass doors leading into the one office. The embossed plate above the doors read, '_Mayor's Office_'.

The thin man squinted at them for a moment. Then his face broke out into a practiced, vapid smile.

"How do you do? This is the Midgar Mayor's Office." He gestured to the glass doors, "Mayor Domino is in his office." Then, unexpectedly, he raised a sly eyebrow. "You are expected. Please go on in."

Barret, Cloud, Naruto and Tifa all shared a look of uncertainty. They were expected? Did that mean they had already been found out and were walking into a trap? That certainly didn't bode well. The thin man happily returned to his reading, paying them no further mind. Naruto frowned, then gave a shrug, and moved on ahead. He gave the glass doors a stiff arm and walked inside.

A small man sat at the glossy black desk in front of Naruto. He wore a nondescript suit of gray, his eyes fixing on Naruto with an odd glint. The room was small, no pictures or excessive refinements. Instead, there was only a single black plastic bookshelf and tall potted plant. Mayor Domino gave Naruto a befuddled look, his brows forming a row of wrinkles on his forehead. He looked to be in his late fifties.

"Hmm?" The Mayor queried, "Who might you be?"

Naruto simply looked at him. Barret, Cloud and Tifa moved into the room behind him. Naruto considered the situation. They needed to get the highest level of security keycard, and this man surely had one...

"Ah..." Domino interrupted the blond shinobi's musings. "You all must be those... rebels."

Naruto eyes narrowed a bit. This man was a bit more perceptive then he had given the man credit for. Especially when considering that the Mayor was really nothing more then a figure head. Unmindful of Naruto's thoughts, the Mayor continued.

"Me? I'm Domino, Mayor of Midgar!" The man looked to each of them, as if expecting a round of applause. After a moment, he shrugged and twisted in his chair, a hand to his chin, considering. "But actually, I'm Mayor in name only. This city and everything in it is really run by the corporation, Shinra." He waved absently outside, to the bookshelves and the clerk. "My only real job is watching over Shinra's documents." He gave a guffaw. "Me! The Mayor! A librarian! Oh... it just cracks me up..."

Naruto opened his mouth, but was promptly cut off as the Mayor suddenly rushed to his feet and pointed at them.

"You want to get upstairs?" he said, "I tell you what..." He settled back into his seat, gazing at each of them in turn. "I'm going to give you the card. You aren't going to tell anyone where you got it, and I'm going to say that I lost it."

Tifa spoke, her voice uncertain.

"Why are you doing this?"

The Mayor leaned back in his chair, looking at her casually.

"Just goes to show you can't judge a book by its cover. The job I do isn't what it should be. I'm in no position to help anyone. That is, I can't help anyone except by doing this." With one finger he slid a card across the top of the desk. "You understand where I'm coming from, don't you? This is the only way I will be able to help anyone." He looked at Naruto as he spoke and the blond got the feeling there was some hidden meaning behind the man's words, though for the life of him he couldn't figure out what.

"Now go up there and make them suffer."

Naruto and the others returned to the elevator once more. The lights of the city twinkled through the glossy walls. As Tifa scanned the Mayor's card, Cloud pressed a finger to the button for the 66th floor. Barret raised an eyebrow.

"Why ain't we not going to the 70th floor?"

Naruto turned, but Tifa answered the question for him.

"I doubt she'll be in the President's penthouse," she stated. "We'll try one of these other floors and see if we can get any information as to where she's being held."

Barret's brow furrowed, and then he turned to look out the glass nearby.

"Fine."

Naruto sighed. Barret wanted to inflict as much damage to Shinra as humanly possible. Too bad. Rescuing Aeris was their primary objective. They weren't going to push their luck by trying to assassinate President Shinra.

The elevator doors slid open and Naruto strode forth into the hallway. This floor was busier than most. As Naruto and the others walked throughout, Shinra employees strolled by, paying them no mind, talking amongst themselves. Wide wooden doors stood on the walls and obsidian plaques noted the meetings taking place within. Naruto watched as a group of men in suits and ties emerged from one of the rooms. This floor must be a collection of conference rooms. As they passed by the men finishing with their meeting, one of them stopped and gazed over at Naruto with an arrogant air. His salt and pepper hair was combed over one side of his head, and he tightened his tie as he gave the ex-shinobi a once-over. The man gave a self-satisfied nod as he looked into Naruto's glowing blue eyes.

"'Bout time they brought a SOLDIER up here," he declared. "Should do wonders for security."

It was a testament to his ability to adapt to any situation that Naruto didn't react to the man's words other than to give a silent nod of acknowledgment. Beside him, Barret bristled. The man in the suit raised an imperious eyebrow.

"What's his problem?"

Tifa slapped Barret on the back of his head, nearly dislodging his janitor's cap. She put her hands on her hips and scowled at Barret as the big man gave her a look of disbelief.

"The damn fool's been grumpy all day," Tifa said. "Something to do with his dumb dog dying." She looked to the businessman, her expression suddenly apologetic and plaintive. Naruto withheld a chuckle at the woman's acting. She was good. "I'm terribly sorry, sir. Pay him no mind."

Cloud stood absolutely still, watching the suited man closely. Barret's eyes widened as he glared at the man, seemingly unable to control himself. His big hand tightened into a fist. The man sniffed and looked away down the hallway, preoccupied. All his coworkers were moving further away. He gave Barret a disapproving glance, then waved his hand in dismissal.

"You're lucky I'm not your supervisor. Now go on, get out of here! Shinra's head execs have a meeting on this floor, and if they see you scowling on like this, they'll fire you so fast you're head will spin."

With that, he walked away down the hallway. Naruto waited for him to move out of sight before giving Barret a look.

"Barret, keep it under control. We can't fight here. We would be overwhelmed."

Barret grunted and tightened his hat on his head.

"Whatever. Now where are all the bigwigs at? I bet we can squeeze Aerith's location out of one of 'em."

Tifa grasped Barret's shoulder, gazing at him calmly, though not without worry. The big man seemed itching for a fight. In the depths of the stronghold of those he despised, Naruto could empathize. But he needed to exert some self-control or else they were all doomed. Tifa whispered in Barret's ear.

"You'll get your chance. But we can't confront them. We need to find some other way, some way we can overhear rather than challenge them. We're in no position to fight Shinra's military, and they _will_ respond if we are discovered or if we cause a ruckus."

As the others talked, Naruto moved down a hallway nearby, checking the plaques of the conference rooms. _Research and Development Panel. Committee on State Relations_. Ah, Naruto thought inwardly. There it was, at the end of the hallway. _Corporate Executive Meeting_. Beside the doorway was a door for a bathroom and a door for what looked to be a snack bar within. Naruto pushed open the bathroom door, leaning inside. One toilet, one sink. And a vent overhead. A grim smile formed on his face. How interesting...

Naruto returned to the others, who were quite alarmed by his sudden disappearance. Down the hall, the elevator doors chimed. Quick as he could manage, Naruto ushered Barret, Cloud and Tifa into the hallway he had explored. When Barret grunted as if about to speak, Naruto pointed a finger in the big man's face, taking Barret aback. With one swift motion, he put the finger to his lips, then gestured for them to follow him into the bathroom. When they gathered inside, he slid the lock shut. They waited in quiet for a moment as voices from the hallway passed by.

Naruto tapped Tifa gently on the shoulder and pointed to the closed ventilation duct above the toilet. Her face lit up into a sparkling smile, and she nodded enthusiastically. Barret looked at it and groaned. He snorted when the others immediately turned back and shushed him. Through the walls, they could hear as voices talked from within the corporate executive meeting nearby. As quiet as he could manage, which wasn't terribly quiet, Barret whispered gruffly.

"There ain't no way in hell I'm gonna fit through that."

Naruto gave a short nod.

"Which is why your going to help the rest of us up."

The big man's response was a gruff huff and a glare, before making to do as asked. Naruto smiled grimly. Good, it seemed the man was learning.

Slow and careful, Barret straddled the toilet, cursing under his breath as Naruto stepped into his cupped hands. His muscles flexed as he lifted the shinobi up with a low grunt. Cloud caught and put aside the vent cover that Naruto detached. Naruto shivered as he rose and his shoulders touched the cold steel of the venting. He shimmied forward, giving Cloud and Tifa room to get up there with him. A chill breeze flowed through the vent, the vent itself barely lit from the small white bulbs of the bathroom. The vent certainly left no room to stand, there wasn't enough room for all three of them to lay side by side, so Tifa and Cloud ended up behind Naruto. The three soon began moving prone down the vent in the direction parallel to the executive meeting room.

Down the end of the vent's corridor, Naruto looked to the right, in the direction of the conference room. Beams of light emerged from between the crosspieces of a vent cover, standing above the corner of the meeting room. Naruto scooted over so Cloud could move to his side. They were both forced to lay down after that so that Tifa could hover above them. Cloud blushed a bit when her left boob landed solidly on his head, eliciting a quiet snicker from Naruto. Cloud glared at the other blond, who merely smiled in return before looking into the vent. Quiet as they could manage, they slid over to the vent cover and looked down at the meeting below.

Four men and one woman sat at a long and beautiful mahogany table. In front of each of them was a small and expensively enameled emerald desk lamp. It shone a soft glow of light on each of their faces, highlighting their features to their advantage. Naruto's eyes roved across the faces. President Shinra sat at the head of the table. Rotund and supremely confident, he puffed absently on a cigar for a moment before speaking, asking a man named Reeve to present his report.

To one side, a fat man watched eagerly, twitching occasionally for what seemed to be no reason at all. His white hair bobbed up and down with each spastic movement. The fat man's hands wiped idly at his brown suit as he turned his eyes to those across the table. By his side, another large man sat, clad in a militaristic green coat. Unlike his companion's, this one's girth seemed to be composed more of muscle than fat. He picked at his immense wiry black beard with one hairy hand as he also looked to those across the way.

On the other side of the table was another man and a pretty woman. The woman was dressed in a long, glossy red dress. She was attractive in a regal sort of way, with long golden hair tied up into a ponytail behind her head. She watched the man at her side with a fascination that seemed almost deliberately fake. Beside her, the man dressed in a dark blue suit looked at President Shinra with an expression of deep weariness. This must be Reeve, Naruto thought to himself. Reeve's short black hair was oiled and slicked back; a small and professional looking goatee adorned his chin. Unlike the others, he seemed truly devoted to the moment, to trying to make his point heard. Sadly, Reeve's voice sounded so fatigued that he seemed half-ready to give up before he started, as if he knew the result was a foregone conclusion. He rose to his feet and took a piece of paper from the stack before him, giving it a couple glances as he spoke.

"We have the damage estimates for Sector 7," Reeve started in a tone that was meant to be strong but sounded tired. "Considering the factories we had set up and all the investments made, we've incurred losses of about 10 billion gil." President Shinra looked on, unmoving, as if the news were no great surprise. Reeve continued. "The estimated cost to rebuild Sector 7 is-"

The President interrupted, his tone one of finality.

"We're not rebuilding."

Reeve blinked at him.

"What?"

President Shinra puffed away at his cigar.

"We're leaving Sector 7 as is. And restarting the Neo-Midgar plan."

Reeve sat down as if all the air had gone out of him. He was clearly floored by the announcement.

"… then the Ancients?" he stammered.

"The Promised Land will soon be ours." The President assented. He leaned back in his chair and stared absently at the ceiling. Naruto grit his teeth when he heard the man's comment. It was times like these he could understand Barret's temptation to just go in there and kill them. Still, Naruto knew that even he would not be capable of getting out of that mess alive. And until Aerith was safe and sound, there was no way he could afford to do something so reckless. So he kept quiet, doing nothing more then gritting his teeth. The President's voice rang out casually, although the news it bore was serious.

"Reeve, I want you to raise the Mako rates 15% in every area."

To one side, the jittery fat man in the brown suit crowed in triumph.

"Rate hike! Rate hike! And please include our Space Program in the budget!"

Reeve gazed at the fat man in disgust, although the President's reaction was more one of amusement than disdain. President Shinra motioned to Reeve's side of the table with the cigar.

"Reeve and Scarlet will divide the extra income from the rate increase."

Reeve's defeated face remained unchanged although Scarlet, the woman at his side, positively glowed at the news. Across the table, the twitchy fat man cursed and hit the table with one chubby palm. However, when the President gave him a look, the fat man quieted up.

"Silence, Palmer."

Reeve stood once more, his face twisted into worry.

"Sir, respectfully, if you raise the rates, the people will lose confidence..."

President Shinra waved one hand dismissively.

"They are ignorant and will trust us all the more, since we do it for a good cause."

Silent up til now, the big man with the black wiry beard gave a great big bellow of a laugh. His gravelly voice reeked of complicity.

"After all," the big man said, "we're the ones who saved Sector 7 from AVALANCHE!"

Up in the tight quarters of the vent, Cloud could feel Tifa's muscles tighten. He got her attention and they exchanged a look. As if reluctant, she gave a brief nod and looked down once more to the meeting below. Naruto sighed at the exchange, were it not for the fact that they needed to remain silent, he may have just said 'I told you so', childish as it may be. Instead he watched as the broad doors to the conference room opened slowly. A hunched man walked slowly in, bespectacled and dressed all in white. As he drew closer to the table, and closer to the vent, they noticed that he wore a long laboratory coat. The visitor was old, and his brow seemed marked into a permanent concentrated furrow. His black hair was devoid of luster, and long strands fell down across his forehead and before his glasses. President Shinra seemed to perk up as he saw the man, and he looked at the scientist with interest.

"Hojo," he said, "How is the girl?"

Naruto's entire body stiffened at the name. So this man was Professor Hojo, the infamous mad scientist of Shinra. He had never met the man before, having only managed to play pranks in the lab when Hojo was not there. The man was notorious for being slippery. Naruto would have wondered why he was being revealed so easily now, but the answer was obvious. Aerith. With the ancient now in his grasp Hojo was probably too caught up in his own excitement to be cautious.

That was fine. If there was one person Naruto would not mind killing one bit, it was Hojo.

Hojo fixed his piercing eyes on the President for a moment. He then looked up at the ceiling and closed his eyes, as if in thought. When Hojo spoke, the voice that emerged was nasal, yet seemed faintly robust, as if its strength had cracked over the years.

"As a specimen, she is inferior to her mother. Her mother, Ifalna, was an ideal material; but for now the difference between the two is 18%."

President Shinra patiently folded his hands before him.

"How long will the research take?"

Hojo pursed his lips, considering.

"Probably a hundred and twenty years. It's probably impossible to finish in our lifetime. Or in the lifetime of the specimen, for that matter."

President Shinra's eyes narrowed. Hojo continued as if he did not notice.

"That's why we're thinking of breeding her. Then we could create a specimen that could withstand harsher research methods for a much longer period of time."

Naruto sucked in a breath. Both Cloud and Tifa looked over at him, worried, especially when they saw blood beginning to leak from his clenched hands. His anger at the words 'harsher research methods' was an almost palpable thing, a thick and cloying feeling that loomed in the air. The two beside him shivered, and it was only a supreme sense of self control that the blond kept it from leaking the taint of his power into the meeting. The President tapped a finger to one cheek, thinking.

"And the Promised Land? Won't this hinder our plans?"

Hojo shrugged.

"That's what I need to plan. The mother is strong, and yet she has her weaknesses."

President Shinra gave him a brusque nod and then rose to his feet. He grasped the papers before them and stacked them soundly together.

"This concludes our meeting."

They watched in silence as the executives below disassembled. Once they heard the thump of the door shutting, Cloud and Tifa turned to Naruto. His face was cast in a mixture of harsh white and dark black lighting. Both were startled to see a pair of elongated canines, sharp and deadly looking, almost fang-like as they glinted in the low light of the vent.

"Naruto..." Tifa started unsurely.

"We're following Hojo," Naruto said without preamble as he interrupted her. His voice sharp enough to cut through steel and cold enough to freeze a desert on a hot summers day. "Come on."

Tifa and Cloud shared a look, but we're forced to break off as they noticed Naruto leaving the shaft. They quickly followed him down to where Barret was waiting impatiently, arms crossed over his chest as his foot tapped against the floor in a staccato beat.

"Well?" he asked the moment Naruto landed on the ground. Cloud and Tifa came down a moment later. Naruto looked at him, and the big man was forced to take a step back at the coldness in his eyes. He regained his composure a moment later when the blonds eyes left his and the shinobi of the group began walking.

"We found out where Aerith is. We're following Hojo."

Barret looked over at Cloud and Tifa, both of whom shook their heads and made to follow Naruto. Barret, after a moment or two, grunted and followed as well. Naruto was already down at the end of the hall, near the room where the executive meeting just ended. As the three members of his party came up, he gestured for them to keep against the wall. Taking out a mirror from his left pouch, Naruto used it to watch as Hojo finished turning the corner. Naruto looked at Barret, Cloud and Tifa, making eye contact with each before gesturing for them to follow him.

With a quickness and silence that only a ninja of his caliber could pull off, Naruto made it to the other side of the conference room. He once again used his mirror while the others came up to him at a much slower rate. Naruto frowned as he watched Hojo walk into the staircase, likely so he could move up towards his lab. It was of course, the most obvious place they would keep Aerith if Hojo had her. That was bad. Hojo was well-known for his distinct lack of humanity. They would need to get her away from that man before he harmed her.

And if she was already harmed. Hojo had better pray to whatever god he worshiped, because Naruto would ensure that his death was neither quick nor painless.

Making more hand gestures for the others to follow him, Naruto moved towards stairway entrance. The door was already unlocked, which was good because Naruto didn't have the cardkey for this door. It did make him frown for a moment, his mind already suspecting this was some kind of trap. He shook his head. Even if it was, Naruto had no intention of backing out now. He moved into the room and quickly made his way up the stairs, heedless of whether or not the others followed him. By the time he reached the sixty-seventh floor, Hojo had already made his way into the hallway beyond.

"Hey, Naruto, slow down."

Naruto turned to look at Barret, Cloud and Tifa as they finished climbing the stairs. Tifa frowned as she noticed his expression.

"Look, I know you're worried, but you need to calm down."

"I know that," Naruto said, hiding the scowl that threatened to come over his face. "But I also know Hojo. If Aerith has been in that man's care then she has likely been subject to a number of inhumane and very painful experiments. We have no time to just sit here. Now come on."

An exasperated look was shared between the other three members of the group as Naruto swiftly moved out of the stairway. They could understand where he was coming from, and really, they couldn't begrudge him for being angry and worried. But they were starting to worry about him. It seemed as if the closer they got to their objective of rescuing Aerith, the angrier he seemed to get. Not wanting to be left behind, they decided to simply focus on supporting him for now, and moved out into the hallway to follow.

The hallway curved before them. The rich red carpeting had been replaced with smooth steel. Tifa and the others couldn't help but feel uneasy in this new setting. Everything seemed so mechanical. The walls were a dull gray, and at various junctions between wall and ceiling, stale blue lights cast the area in a pale lifeless sheen. The hallway soon opened up into a wide area filled with large boxes and crates. They were carefully organized into various quadrants marked off by yellow construction tape. Brief phrases were written atop one of each of the boxes for each area. One section was marked _Wutai Ore_. Another was marked as containing _Gongagan Power Cells._ Yet another was designated _Junonian Deep Sea Minerals_. The entirety of the floor seemed dedicated to a vast collection of various imported raw materials and manufactured goods.

They soon found Naruto, crouched down in a corner behind a large machine. He was staring at Hojo stood before a thick glass cylinder, engrossed. Inside, a large leonine creature sat, paying the scientist no mind. Cloud's eyes widened when he saw what Naruto did. The creature's fur was a rich dark scarlet, and a long tail shifted and twitched apathetically behind it. The end of the tail was a plume, like a vibrant yellow flame that danced as it moved. A deeper red mane whooshed up over its forehead like a mohawk, and the hair rustled slightly as the creature turned and seemed to deliberately look away from the man gazing inside the glass. Twin red slashes adorned each furry cheekbone, almost like warpaint. Behind Hojo, a sturdy dome of dark metal protruded from the ground, encasing something inside of it. The window on the door that led within glowed with a sickly pink light.

Footsteps rang out somewhere close behind Cloud, Barret and Tifa. Cloud's eyes widened as he glanced over one shoulder. Realizing they had to move fast, Cloud dove over to where Naruto was hiding, Barret and Tifa following just a few seconds later. And not a moment to soon, as the person behind the footsteps soon came into the room.

A Shinra employee entered the area and walked over to Hojo. He wore a dull grey uniform and nondescript black shoes. The employee looked briefly at the lion-like creature within the glass.

"Is this today's specimen?" the man asked.

Hojo nodded his head absently.

"Yes. We're starting right away. Raise it to the upper level."

The employee assented, and walked away back to wherever he came from. When the sound of footsteps ceased, Hojo placed one spidery hand on the glass.

"My precious specimen..."

He stood in place for a while, mesmerized, as if off in a distant world of his mind's creation. Finally, he folded his hands behind his back and walked slowly off, his head hunched over in thought.

Tifa walked over to the glass, staring at the red-furred creature within. Surprisingly, it moved its head, inspecting her with a curious eye. Tifa watched it for a moment, pressing both her hands up against the glass.

"Precious specimen?" she spoke softly. Tifa looked to Naruto. "Do you think it is going to be used for some biological experiment?"

"Most likely," the blond shinobi said with a frown. "As I said before, Hojo is well-known for his sick and twisted practices."

Tifa hugged herself around her torso. "That's awful..."

The conversation around Cloud was soon drown out as something else caught his attention. His eyes widened as he looked to the dark metal dome with its unnatural pink glow. Slowly, he stepped forward, one foot before the next, moving ever closer to the window. He feared what he would see when he looked within; Cloud shivered with a horrible sense of foreboding dread. Distantly, he heard Tifa raise another question for Naruto, but they were just empty words that passed through his mind like air. As he neared the window, he noticed a nameplate on the front of the door. The name etched upon the metal seared through his mind like wildfire. Cloud's whisper cut through the stillness like a knife.

"Jenova..."

He could hold himself back no longer. Cloud stepped before the door to the dome and looked through the glowing window.

* * *

><p><strong>Another chapter finished, and is it just me, or am I one of the only authors still updating stories? Seriously, it's been months since some of my favorite authors pretty much stopped updating any of their work, and it's beginning to drive me crazy. The only other person who updates with any regularity is Kenchi618, and while I love reading his stories, he's only one person. <strong>

**I don't know what's gotten into these authors, but I really hope they get back in the business of writing.**

**Come on people! Stop dilly dallying and write something! Please!**

**Pokemaster12 out.**


	17. A4 C17: Captured

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 4: Shinra Infiltration**

**Chapter 17: Captured**

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><p>It was headless. The body of Jenova looked human enough, a shape that greatly resembled those of a normal person. In fact, one could almost mistake the body of Jenova for a beautiful and curvaceous woman. At least, they would until they saw the glowing purple and pink tone of it's skin, the vein-like lines that ran along it's body in sinuous twists and turns, forming a large network that looked like the most intricate spiderweb the world has ever known. It only had a single nipple, on the left side of it's chest. At least, it held the vaguest resemblance of a nipple. The round circle located where a nipple would normally be looked much more like an eye. Large objects, almost like wings or some other sort of extended appendage protruded from it's back. It was headless. It was also alive.<p>

Cloud's eyes widened as he took a single step back, then another, and another. He shook his head, trying to clear it. But soon an intense ringing filled his ears. He clenched his eyes shut, teeth grinding against each other as he held his head in his hands. His breathing was harsh in his ears, blood pounding through his veins as his heart began working overtime. He fell to his knees, shaking uncontrollably. Unable to stand up, he fell onto the floor below.

A few moments later, Cloud realized he must have blacked out or something, because the next thing he knew was Tifa holding onto him as he blinked the spots out of his eyes.

"You ok, man?" asked Naruto, sounding concerned, and he had a right to be, one minute everything was perfectly normal, or at least as normal as a group of people infiltrating a world ruling conglomerate corporation in order to save their friend could be. The next minute one of their members, who as far as Naruto had seen was probably the most capable and stable person with him, was passed out on the ground. So yeah, he had a right to be concerned.

The blond was hovering above the pair, watching as Tifa held onto Cloud like a lifeline. She was shaking quite a bit, and tears were coming awfully close to leaking from her eyes. It was definitely much harder on her, watching her friend go through what looked like incredibly painful spasms, then it was for him.

"Jenova... Sepheroth's... so... they've brought it here." His words were a jumbled mess, even Naruto had trouble making sense of what he was saying. Tifa held Cloud that much tighter.

"Cloud, be strong!"

Cloud looked over at Naruto.

"Did you see it?"

Naruto frowned, wondering what Cloud was talking about. He looked over at the dome, seeing the glowing purple window, then back at Cloud. His frown deepening, Naruto made his way over to the glass window and took a look in. He stood there, staring at the abomination of flesh for what felt like hours. It took an almost concerted effort of will to pull his head away, as if there was some kind of force that was keeping him from doing so. When he did, Naruto turned and looked at Cloud.

"It's still moving."

Cloud nodded, answering the blond shinobi's words even though it wasn't a question. Tifa helped Cloud up as he made to stand. The ex-SOLDIER's legs wobbled a bit, but soon enough he was on his own two feet, his eyes looking at the window Jenova was located behind. Barret grunted as he shoved Naruto out of the way and looked into the window.

"The fuck is this!?" He said, startled. Quickly looking away, he jerked his head over to Cloud. "Thing's missing it's fuckin' head! This is stupid! Let's jus' get goin'!"

Naruto couldn't agree more. While he was curious about this odd creature, as well as the effect it seemed to have on Cloud, they really had no time to be standing around here talking. Turning, Naruto began leading the group away from the dome with the creepy figure that was missing it's head. They stalked passed several large stacks of boxes. Naruto read the labels absently, noting that most of them were minerals or chemicals of some kind. Probably to be used for experimentation. He didn't pay too much attention to them, however, merely giving them a passing glance before they reached a small elevator.

Leading the way, Naruto walked up to the elevator, sliding the metal gate to the side and stepping in. the others followed and Naruto pressed the button to make it go to the next level. The next floor was a room designed for experimentation. An observation platform was raised above the floor where Naruto could see a control center where the Shinra worker was manning a set of controls. A small walkway was extended towards a cylindrical tube, glowing a light purple from the lighting inside. On the inside of the tube was Aerith, lying on the ground, shivering.

"Aerith!"

Naruto rushed forward towards the railing that separated him from the small prison she was in. As he looked at her, his hands began crushing the rails, the sound of screeching metal as it was ripped apart echoed in through the room. The noise attracted the attention of Hojo, who looked over at him in curiosity.

"Aerith? Is that her name?"

"You!" Naruto snarled, baring his fangs at the man. Only the knowledge that this man couldn't be killed if he wanted to rescue Aerith kept him from ripping that smug look off his face, tearing his limbs off and then beating him to death with them.

But it would happen, and soon, if Naruto had anything to say about.

"Ah, now I recognize you," Hojo said as he looked at the blond who was shivering in silent rage. A smile made it's way to his face. "The one everyone thinks is an ex-member of SOLDIER. Yes, I recognize you from those reports. I'm so glad you're here now. I've been wanting to experiment on you for a long time."

Naruto growled as he rushed towards the man, unable to restrain himself any longer. In that moment, it no longer mattered that this man might be the key to freeing Aerith. All Naruto wanted to do was rip this bastards head off. All he saw was red.

Barret, Cloud and Tifa were shocked, but quickly managed to pull themselves together and moved to surround Hojo.

"Are you going to kill me?" asked Hojo, his smile still in place. "I don't think I need to tell you why that would be a bad idea? The equipment here is quite... delicate. Without me, who would operate it, hmm?"

Naruto halt mid rush, the words penetrating his mind and forcing him to take several deep breaths to calm down. He knew the man was right, and he knew that the man knew he knew this. There was really nothing they could do right now, not until Aerith was safe. Much as he wanted to rip this man's face off with nothing more than his fingernails, flay his skin and carve through his muscles and bones like they were nonexistent, he could not do any of those things. Aerith's safety was paramount. The... doctor, if such a term could be applied to man who did nothing to actually help others, must have seen the slight twitching of his shoulders to give him away, for he gave Naruto an arrogant smile.

"That's right. I recommend you think things out logically before you make any rash moves." Not fearing the blond man before him now that he was properly cowed, Hojo turned to look at the man in the control booth. "Now, bring in the specimen!"

The man gave a nod, typing in several commands on the control console. Inside of the tube where Aerith lay, a small hole opened up in the middle. The whir and grind of machinery came to life. A second later, the creature that had been located in the test tube a floor below them, rose up through the hole. Aerith's eyes widened as she backed away from the creature, fear permeating her emerald green orbs. She stood up. The creature, noticing her movements turned to her, growling. Aerith quickly tried to run behind it, but that just made the creature turn with her. Naruto rushed up to the tube. Aerith spotted him and ran over, pounding on the glass.

"Naruto! Help!"

Naruto looked at the tube, unsure of whether he should just cut through it or not. There was a good chance that it would do more harm then good, for all he knew those pipes that seemed to be moving inside of the metal contained some kind of poisonous toxin or something equally dangerous to Aerith. He turned to Hojo, glaring at the man.

"What the hell do you think your doing!?"

"Why, I am merely lending a helping hand to these two endangered species. Both of them are on the brink of extinction, you know. If I don't help them, all these animals will disappear."

Tifa looked at Hojo, appalled.

"Animal!? That's terrible! Aerith is a human being!"

Cloud looked over at Barret.

"Can you do anything?"

Barret smirked as his gun-arm whirred. He ran over to the door, his left hand holding up his gun-arm as he aimed it.

"Awright! step back!"

Hojo's eyes widened as he realized what Barret was going to do.

"Stop!"

His cry came to late, not that it would have done any good even if it hadn't. Barret opened up a barrage of gun-fire, lacing the large glass structure with bullets. Sparks flew across the surface of the glass, several cracks spread out where the bullets hit. Aerith and the creature inside was engulfed in a white light. The last thing Naruto saw of Aerith was her falling to the ground, covering her eyes.

Hojo quickly ran towards the test tube, his hands pressing up against the glass, a look of horror on his face.

"What are you do – my precious specimens!"

The inhumane doctor reach out a hand, sliding it along a control panel in a set pattern. The door hissed, pushing itself outward, and then sliding to the side along a set axis. As the light died down, it showed the red creature standing in the door way, as if it had been waiting. With a loud roar, it launched itself on Hojo, knocking him to the floor where it began mauling his face.

"Now's our chance to get Aerith!"

Naruto didn't need Cloud's prompting. He was already moving, rushing inside of the cylinder of glass and metal. Aerith was lying on the floor, eyes clenched shut. She looked a little worse for wear, but didn't appear to be injured otherwise. Naruto knelt down beside her, his hand pressing against her forehead.

"Aerith?"

Aerith opened her eyes, emerald green meeting ocean blue.

"... Naruto..."

A few tears leaked out of the corner of her eyes as she saw her savior. She shook her head, wiping a few stray tears that fell from her eyes, then smiled at him. The smile didn't reach her eyes. Naruto could tell the smile was mostly fake, she was trying to be strong for him, so she wouldn't worry him. At least, not anymore than she already had. He decided to respect her wishes, and didn't push the issue. Instead choosing to help her stand up.

"Thanks, Naruto."

Naruto smiled, there was no hiding the relief in his eyes at seeing Aerith alive and well. Even still, he couldn't help but let a shiver run through him as he realized that he had been this close to losing her. The familiar feeling of the cold hand of failure clenching his heart rushed into him but he quickly shook it off, not wanting to worry Aerith. Instead he focused his attention on her, not the horrible feeling he got at what could have been if he had arrived just a few seconds later. She was alive, here, now, and that was what mattered.

"Aerith..."

He would be unable to say just what possessed him that day. In the years to come he would find that he simply didn't care. Whether it was instincts, relief at seeing Aerith alive, the boiling over of emotions that he had long since suppressed, or something else entirely. Naruto would always mark this moment as the turning point for him and Aerith.

He stepped forward, moving directly into what many people would consider their personal space. One arm slid itself around her waist, pulling her close to him as the other came up. His left hand went under her chin, his index and middle finger tilting her head up while his thumb rested against her delicate chin. Aerith only had enough time for her eyes to widen as Naruto leaned down and sealed her lips over with his own.

His eyes remained opened, focused solely on her as if to immortalize her image into his memories. He wanted to remember this moment for the rest of his life. This was something he had to see with his own eyes.

Aerith's reason kidnapping had been a shock to him, and had made him realize that there may come a time when one, or perhaps even both of them left this mortal coil. It was inevitable. If nothing else, time would take them away from each other. Naruto didn't want to live a life of regret, always wondering 'what if'. Even if Aerith didn't return his feelings, at least he could say he tried.

Aerith's body had gone completely stiff, an electric current surged through her body, starting from her lips and working it's way down until it reached her toes. It was almost like getting shocked by lightning materia, only infinitely more pleasant. For a moment, her brain seemed to stop functioning, then when it rebooted, she only registered shock.

As the shock began to fade, Aerith's mind began to realize what was happening. Naruto was kissing her. Instincts long since bred into humanity kicked in. Emerald eyes fluttered closed. Aerith's hands moved to his shirt, gripping it as she pulled him against her. She stood on her tip toes, head tilting even more to grant her better access to Naruto's lips.

Time seemed to stand still for the pair, seconds felt like hours and nothing else seemed to exist. Just them. They knew it would soon reassert itself, and they would be forced to start moving with the flow again. But for the few seconds they had left, Naruto and Aerith cherished the first kiss of many they would share.

It would be Naruto who broke the kiss, he pulled his head back, but only enough so he could press their foreheads together. His eyes remained open, watching as Aerith's own eyelids fluttered open to reveal her bright emerald orbs. Their faces were less than an inch apart, and he could see every detail of Aerith's lovely face; her half lidded eyes, the light blush that ran from her left cheek, across her nose, and to her other cheek as her veins pumped more blood to her face than was needed. Naruto could feel her breath hitting him, warm and inviting, just the feeling of her breath made him want to claim her lips again, but he refrained for now.

"Sorry I'm a little late," Naruto whispered, his own breathing was quite heavy. He felt like he had run a marathon. Even though the kiss they had shared had only lasted for a moment, it seemed to have left him just as breathless as Aerith. "But you should know that..."

"The hero always arrives at the last minute?" Aerith finished with a smile. Naruto gave her a crooked grin that just begged her to kiss him again. She shook her head, dispelling such thoughts. They were for another time, not now, not when they were in the middle of Shinra's Stronghold.

"Naruto," she looked at him with her brightest smile. "Thank you." Naruto gave her a return smile that seemed to say 'don't mention it'. They probably would have stayed like that, staring into each others eyes as they held onto each other for hours if the situation were not so grave. They knew that they couldn't rest yet, and so they reluctantly released their hold on each other so they could leave the small confinements of the prison Aerith had been kept in.

"Come on," he said, grabbing Aerith's hand in his own. Together, they rushed out of the door where everyone was waiting. The reactions he received from the group were about what Naruto had expected; Barret was blushing, his cheeks stained so red it was visible against even his darkened skin; Cloud was looking anywhere but at them; Tifa had a soft smile on her face and a light pink tint to her cheeks; and the red creature that was mauling Hojo... was still mauling Hojo. Somehow the man had managed to avoid any grievous injury by keeping his hands under the creature's neck so it couldn't bite him in the face. That was good, Naruto wanted to rip the man's face off himself.

"Aerith! Are you alright?" Tifa asked, her smile still in place as she looked at the girl, checking to see if she had any injuries.

Aerith smiled, her eyes flickered over to Naruto, then back to Tifa.

"I'm fine."

Cloud shook his head as he tried to bring his mind back into some semblance of order. While Naruto's action had shocked him, the ex-SOLDIER felt he probably should have seen it coming. It really should not have come to him as such a surprise. Still, a part of him had never expected to see something like what had just happened, except for maybe in the movies. His attention was taken from him when the whir of machinery came back online. He looked over at the cylinder Naruto and Aerith just left to see the lift was working again.

"You guys, not to rain on your parade or anything, but the lift is moving again."

Everyone moved into action at those words. Barret snapped out of his blushing fit as Tifa pounded her gloved fists together. Naruto reached into his pouch and pulled out two scrolls. Unrolling them he threw them both into the air, then bit his thumb. With great speed he caught the first one to fall, smearing his finger against the seal and unsealing Cloud's Buster sword, which was then thrown at Cloud. As the sword flipped end over end, Naruto caught the other seal and unsealed Aerith's stave. He handed the weapon to her just as Cloud caught the sword by the handle and brought the blade in front of him, angled down to the ground.

The creature that had been trying to maul Hojo's face stopped, allowing the mad scientist to back away.

"This is no ordinary specimen. This particular specimen is very ferocious."

The creature turned around, ignoring Hojo for now as he looked at Naruto. Said blond blinked, nonplussed. He had honestly not expected to meet an intelligent life form besides humans that were capable of speech in this world. Gaia didn't have summons, which were the only animals he knew of that were capable of speaking in human tongues. Still, as a shinobi, and one who had always been taught to expect the unexpected, Naruto didn't do much more than blink in surprise before moving on.

There were more important things to worry about right now.

"He's very powerful. I'll help you all out."

Tifa gaped.

"It talked!?"

Naruto couldn't be certain, but he was positive the creature rolled it's eyes as it replied, "I'll talk as much as you want later, miss."

With a battle about to take place here, Naruto began making immediate plans on how to proceed. There were far too many of them to properly fight right now, with six of them in a single room it would make moving and engaging any enemy difficult. There was a reason ninja moved in squads of four, after all. That meant at least two of them would need to leave. However, he quickly determined that splitting them up into three would be ideal, at least right now. With that in mind, Naruto looked at Cloud and Tifa.

"I want you two to take Aerith and get out of here. Take her someplace safe."

Cloud and Tifa both nodded. Aerith looked at Naruto. She took his hand in both of hers and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"Stay safe."

Naruto smiled and squeezed back, letting her hands go a second later to fall at her sides.

"You too."

As Aerith, Barret and Tifa ran off, Naruto turned to look at the curious creature before him.

"What's your name?"

The red furred creature cocked it's head to the side, a curious gesture. He got the feeling it was shrugging it's shoulders.

"Hojo has named me, Red 13, a name with no meaning what so ever to me. Call me whatever you wish."

Naruto sighed as he interrupted the creature's words to mean it couldn't care less what it was called, and that it also wasn't going to give him it's real name any time soon.

"I suppose we'll go with Red 13 for now. Anyways, we need to get ready."

Naruto's hand rested on the hilt of his Ōkatana, grasping it in firm fingers as he smoothly pulled it from it's sheath. The blade gleamed in the lighting, it's polished surface reflecting the room around it. The blond slid into a basic kenjutsu stance, preparing himself for a confrontation with whatever creature Hojo had sicked against them.

Barret ran over to Red 13, cocking his gun-arm as he prepared to open fire against anything that he deemed a threat. Meanwhile, Red 13 crouched low, a growl filling the air as it prepared to fight against whatever was ascending to their floor.

The first they all saw rising from the elevator was something that only vaguely resembled a head. A large purplish, bony spike protruded from the top, the 'face' was turned to the left, unable to actually move as a mass of tentacles made up most of the head, wriggling masses of flesh that moved and writhed all over the place in a sick imitation of snakes. Both of it's shoulders were different, one being a light blueish grey, almost pauldron-like with grey protrusions running along it; the other was pink, with a gaping maw and several teeth it made the entire shoulder look more like a mouth then anything. As more and more of the creature became visible, Naruto saw that the monster looked as if nothing on it was original, like Hojo had just decided to mix and match the parts of various monsters to see if he could create the ugliest thing in existence.

It's general colors were a mixture of brown and green, with just a little bit of purplish blue in the mix. A large purple tube was attached to it's box-like chest, moving under it's armpit where it attached again to the back. It's left arm was large, it looked like multiple sacks filled with some kind of liquid that was simply hanging from it's shoulder joint. Several spikes were sticking out of it at various angles. The other arm was long and spindly, yellow and pink webbing formed what looked like a shield on the outer side of it's arm. Brown flesh soon became bone white as a 'hand' with only three fingers, a thumb that looked more like the claw of a crab, and two bony extensions that were sharpened to a point was attached to the arm. Bulbous and muscular legs were attached to the an oddly small waste. Red and white, the flesh of the legs extended down where it was meshed together with a pair tripod like feet. Three stalks shooting out from each other, attached to black suction cup-like toes.

The creature was truly hideous. A fusion of so many monsters that it couldn't truly be considered as a single creature. It truly was the creation of a madman, someone who had lost all sense of his humanity in his quest of trying to find perfection.

Floating around the creature were sixteen small machines, yellow in color with an oblong, football shaped body, four spiky silver protrusions that acted almost as legs, and a single dark green eye lens on it's front. The creature's all floated about in the air, hovering as if they were being lifted by some unseen force.

"Barret, Red, I want you guys to take out those yellow things. Whatever they are, they're likely some kind of support system for big and ugly."

Barret grunted as he reloaded a clip of ammo into his gun-arm. Taking aim he fired off a quick burst of bullets that struck one of the creature's in the lens. There was a mall explosion, then a scattering of metal parts as the mechanical support creature was destroyed. Fiery pieces of what was left of the machine bounced along the ground.

"And what about you?"

Naruto slowed his breathing as he took the materia he had in his arm out and quickly replaced it with a fiery red materia.

"I'm going to take out big bad."

"Whatever."

With their orders given, Barret and Red 13 began moving in to attack. Barret ran along the side of the room, keeping his distance as he unloaded a barrage of gun-fire into one of the machines. It's outer casing was fairly hard, sparks flew off as bullets began ricocheting off it's hard shell. A frown made it's way to Barret's face as he wondered why he wasn't destroying the machine as easily as he had the other one.

Before he could even come up with a proper explanation it swiveled around, tracking him. He cursed as a large blast of fire burst into existence in front of him. Acting out of sheer instinct, Barret jumped backwards, letting the explosion from the blast carry him. He hit his back against the hard steel floor, gasping for breath even as he scrambled to his feet. A glare was sent the machines way, not that it did anything other then make him feel better. Taking off again, Barret half-haphazardly aimed his gun at the machine, firing off a more prolonged round.

As more and more bullets began hitting the things outer shell, several dents began appearing in it's casing. The machine was soon pushed back. It made to swivel towards Barret but that proved to be a bad idea for it. As it turned, one of the bullets the big man was firing hit it in the lens, penetrating deep into it's circuitry. With the internal components necessary for cooling broken, the machine exploded in a shower of spark and metal. Barret smirked as he watched metallic debris and circuits fly off in all directions.

"Heh, hell yeah! Now that's how you do it!"

Barret's crowing was interrupted when one of the machines launched itself at him. He shouted in surprise, moving out of the way as quick as humanly possible. At the same time his gun-arm came up and he opened fire on the machine as it began turning back towards him.

He probably would have continued attempting to reduce the hunk of metal to molten scrap, however, as he was firing on it one of the other machines had targeted him. It launched a blizzard of ice at him, forcing Barret to not only halt his attack, but also find some means to protect himself. Unfortunately he was in an open area of the room, and there was no debris or any machines that he could hide behind. The large gale storm of ivy winds tore into the big man, making him cover his face with his arms. The ping of metal getting hit by shards of ice was accompanied by his flesh and blood arm getting sliced into by many of the ice shards attacking him. He was really beginning to hate how these things seemed capable of using magic.

As the ice storm died down, Barret let his arms down, breathing a sigh of relief in the process. His relief was short lived, however, as the moment he let his guard down, the machine that had tried tackling him rammed right into his torso. A grunt escaped his mouth as he was forced to place a hand on the lip of the machine's domed cap in order to not get sent flying off. With his normal hand occupied, he stuck his gun-arm directly in the machines eye. With a loud yell he let loose a barrage of gun-fire that instantly destroyed the machine. However, this had the unintended side effect of sending him flying backwards for several feet, until he landed on his back, getting the air knocked out of him as he rolled and tumbled along the ground. He came to a stop several feet from where he had been. Getting up on his hands and knees he shook his head, trying to clear the ringing in his ears.

"Never... doin' that again..."

A little ways from him, Red 13 was attacking several of the machines that had come with the large monstrosity that Hojo had created. The large feline moved with a lethal grace, bounding on all fours as he ran towards his first target.

The first machine to suffer his wrath did so when it tried launching a blaze of fire at him. Red 13 dodged the blast of red flames and pounced on the metallic husk. His claws, far sharper then the steel that the outer casing of this machine, sliced into the metal with ease. He pierced his claw through it several times, slashing at the armor plating until it looked like someone had taken a cheese grater and gone crazy with it. He finished it off by plunging a clawed paw into it's circuits. Sparks soon flew off the machine and Red 13 jumped away just seconds before it exploded.

Before he could even select his next target, the feline found himself surrounded on all sides by several of the machines. Four in total, one on each side. Two of them charged forward, intent on ramming him and causing much blunt force trauma. The other two hung back and it was clear to see they were charging up for a magical attack.

Red 13 decided not to give the two coming in a chance to actually land a blow on him. The first one that got near was jumped on, pierced through the top by the feline's claws. The large red cat ripped open the machines top like a can of tuna, shredding the armoured plating and revealing the circuitry within. Another quick swipe of his claws and the internal components of the machine were nothing more the twisted scrap metal and useless wires.

Jumping off, Red 13 landed on the ground just a few feet away from the machine as it crashed into the the other one that had gone for a head-on attack. Both devices went up in a flare of fire and smoke. As the ping of metal hitting the ground sounded, and several pieces of debris bounced along the ground past him, Red 13 turned his attention towards the next two objects he had to destroy.

His tail began to move, the plume at the end looked almost alive as the light reflected off of it. It reached out, moving into a small hairpin before pulling out a tiny yellow orb. Materia. Red 13 tossed the orb into the air and quickly jumped up to catch it, ascending nearly fifteen feet. He caught the orb in his mouth. Spinning while in the air, he directed his attention towards the first enemy he had decided to destroy. It was charging up a blast for fire, he could tell that much from the flames being discharged by it. Wanting to attack first, he directed his own energy and focus into his materia. The orb began to light up, sparks shot out and soon began to course along his body, crackling and making his fur stand on end. When he was fully charged, Red 13 let himself drop directly on top of the machine.

A large explosion went up, sparks of lightning flew through the air as the machine Red 13 landed on overloaded. A gout of flame soon followed, after which came a large plume of smoke. From within the smoke, Red 13 charged out, electricity still coursing along his body. The last machine that had attack sensed him coming in and began to prepare an ice attack. However, before it could even get close to unleashing it, Red 13 charged straight through it. The lightning energy that had been enhancing his body and the damage he could inflict allowed him to easily pierce through the machine. It blew up, sending fire and metal flying in every direction. With the last of those enemies gone, the feline charged away looking for his next target.

As Barret and Red 13 were taking on the smaller enemies, Naruto found himself contending with the massive one. He had found out early on that the large sacks that made up the left did, in fact, contain a poison of some kind. The blond shinobi had already been hit by the green smog once, and while it wasn't capable of really doing much more then irritating him, it was distracting as the creature had managed to smack him with it's other arm when he had been busy coughing. As such. He had no desire to get hit by that stupid poison again.

Thankfully, the poison did not seem capable of spreading out beyond a few feet. Meaning so long as Naruto was quick enough, he could dodge the poison with relative ease. He had already proven capable of doing this when he had charged the monster a second time. It had released more of the noxious fumes from it's arms when he had gotten closer, however, the blond had anticipated it doing exactly that and managed to dodge out of the way.

There were other problems of course, while it did not look it, the monster was fairly quick. Or at least, it's right arm was quick. Several times Naruto had attempted to attack and that thing managed to block each of his swords strikes with ease. It had even made several counter attacks, though Naruto's own speed was nothing to scoff at and he had either blocked or evaded all of them. Still, this did leave some problems. He had tried solving the problem by simply cutting off the limb, but had found out the hard way that the thing was far more durable then it looked. He had even tried using a wind blade, and while the damage done had been more extensive then if he had not used his first element, it hadn't done more then leave a large cut, and that had healed up on the thing surprisingly quickly.

And then there was the fact that he couldn't use any of his more destructive techniques. Well, he could but it really wouldn't be a good idea. Launching something like a Rasenshuriken at the thing may very well destroy it molecule by molecule, but it would also take most of the room with it. Then there was the very real possibility that his attack would destabilize the entire building and quite possibly topple it. He had gone through a lot of trouble to save Aerith, the last thing he wanted to do was make a building fall on top of her.

Swearing to himself, Naruto racked his brain to try and come up with a nice, clean way to kill this creature that didn't involve taking out the entire building as well. All the while he was forced to dodge or block the viscous attacks it sent his way. This wouldn't have been so bad if the thing wasn't so damn strong. One particularly viscous hit from it's bony arm that Naruto was unable to dodge had him skidding across the ground.

_'If I hadn't gotten my blade up in time to block that, I could have actually gotten seriously injured,'_ Naruto thought with a frown. This creature had far more power then he would have thought possible, more so then most of the Chunin level Shinobi back in the Elemental Nations. A shiver actually made it's way through his body as he thought of what someone like Orochimaru would do with this thing if he got his hands on it. _'I'm going to need to be more careful when I engage this... whatever the hell it is.' _

He couldn't afford to get hit by any of those swings, so he would need to do what he could to dodge all of it's attacks. Coming up with a plan Naruto re-sheathed his sword and took off running away from the creature. It roared and made to follow as Naruto sprinted towards the nearest wall, then, when he got closer to the wall jumped on that and sprinted up it. The thing attempted to hit him with it's poisonous cloud, but the blond managed to stay one step ahead of it as he ran onto the ceiling. As he moved, the blond quickly switched out his materia with another one since wind attacks didn't seem to actually damage it and he had no desire to use any of the higher tier attacks like his wind dragon or the Rasenshuriken.

With his right hand on the hilt of his blade and his left on the sheath, Naruto bent his knees, muscles coiling and tense in preparation for his next move. It happened when he was right over the ugly monster, whose face was directly below him. Using a chakra enhanced push, Naruto launched himself down at the creature at speeds far faster then anyone without a sharingan could ever hope to track.

His Ōkatana was out of it's sheath in a flash. The entire blade was wreathed in electricity, sparking blue currents of lightning chakra that arched along the blade erratically and with increasing frequency. It was almost impossible to see the blade itself, so consumed by the blue light of the lightning.

"Chidorigatana!"

Naruto flipped end over end, his body spinning. He landed on the creature's left shoulder feet first, his blade already descending towards the monsters face. It struck, the power of the lightning attack coursed along the creature's body. Surprisingly enough, the power of his jutsu did not manage to penetrate the monsters flesh for more then a few centimeters, not matter how hard Naruto tried to push the blade deeper. He had been sure that, due to it's apparent resistance to his wind attacks, the piercing power of lightning would have been more effective. After all, wind and lightning were polar opposites.

That didn't seem to be the case here. If anything, his Chidorigatana seemed to be even less effective then his Kaze No Yaiba. It was a confusing conundrum, and one Naruto didn't have time to ponder as he was forced to withdraw his blade and leap over the creature's attacking claw. Out of instinct, and wanting to dissipate the rest of his lightning, he slashed at one of the long fingers while he spun over it's attacking hand. It didn't do much more then leave a gash, but at the very least it seemed to irritate the creature because it withdrew it's hand.

Naruto landed lightly on his feet a few feet away, a small frown on his face. None of his base jutsu were working, the Kaze No Yaiba couldn't cut through the creature's hard flesh, the Chidorigatana barely even pierced it's skin, and the Rasengan only left a small spiral mark when it hit. That meant he would have to either use higher tier attacks, or the sub elements if he wanted to do any damage.

The monster charged at him with a roar, and Naruto began channeling lightning chakra through his body to increase his speed and neural synapses. It wasn't quite the Raiton No Yoroi, though should he wish it he could use it, but it helped him keep several steps ahead of the monsters attacks, allowing him to dodge the creature entirely while it swung it's arm around or released it's poison at him.

While he dodged, Naruto began trying to think of the best way to dispose of this creature with minimal damage to the building. His more powerful attacks were out, as he had no desire to destroy the building with him and his companions still in it. That meant he would need to use a sub elemental attack, one that would be capable of inflicting mass amounts of damage on a single target, preferably, a one hit kill attack. Thankfully, he had several of those. Magma was out, while using lava to melt the creature was sure to destroy it in a single go, it would also melt the building away and possibly kill his friends. Boil and Scorch were out for the same reason. Wood wouldn't do anything against this creature, and neither would magnetism, unless this thing had a lot of iron in it. Dust, Dark, Swift, Steel and Storm were also out, he doubted any of them would have the kick needed to actually kill this thing. Dusk might, but it would require more power then he was willing to give at the moment. That meant he had to use either Crystal or Ice.

With his mind proceeding to plan a mile a minute, Naruto made his decision. As the creature came at him again, this time unleashing another cloud of toxic smoke, Naruto didn't even bother to dodge it. Instead he let the smoke move over him, effectively granting him a smoke screen. It was annoying, the poisonous smog got into his lungs and caused him to cough and hack a bit. But it wouldn't actually harm him, even now he could feel the worst of it being filtered out by his regenerative ability.

While the smoke screen was still surrounding him, Naruto quickly switched out materia, yanking the one in his arm out and replacing it with the one he wanted in less then a second. Against someone of say, Sasuke's ability, switching materia during combat may be impossible, but against something like this, it was no trouble at all. With his materia ready, Naruto began charging up chakra for his attack.

"Shōton: Kesshō Gokakurō." A large circle of light engulfed the monster. As it looked down, there was an explosion of an almost foam like substance from the circle that exploded in the creature's face, covering it so completely that it's form was invisible. It let out a loud roar that was halted halfway through, and when the foamy substance began to dissipate, it revealed that the monster was completely encased in a large, pinkish crystal.

Naruto gasped for breath as he swayed in place, remembering the reason why he rarely ever used the sub elements in a combat situation. Each sub element cost far more than a normal attack, at least two times more, and each sub element was B-ranked or above, meaning that using even one was the equivalent of using four B-ranked ninjutsu of a standard element. Tiring didn't begin to cover it. As it was, with this jutsu and the others he had used, he barely had enough to use even the most basic of ninjutsu. Thankfully, he wouldn't need it to finish this monster off.

Pulling his sword from it's sheath once again, Naruto launched himself into a run, his form blurring. He jumped into the air using a chakra enhanced leap to soar far over his opponent. Coming down, Naruto used his momentum to increase his attack power as he swung his sword down onto the crystal encased monster with all his might.

"Ryūtsuisen!"

There was a flash of light, a small white line spread out across the the center of the crystal and the monster within. Cracks began forming out from the line, spreading and creating a large spiderweb of intricate interconnecting lines that held no rhyme or reason. As Naruto walked away, he slowly slid his Ōkatana back into it's sheath.

Slllnnngk!

As the resounding '_click'_ of his sword being fully sheathed resounded through the laboratory, the crystal and the monster encased in it shattered. Millions upon millions of crystal shards fell to the ground with a loud clatter, like millions of hailstones as they battered the earth.

Naruto sighed, closing his eyes as he began taking several deep breaths. He was doing much better then he had the last time he'd used so many jutsu in a single sitting, when he, Cloud, Tifa and Aerith had fought against that monster in the sewers. It was obvious to him that the more he used his materia, the more capable he became at casting jutsu in succession without tiring. Much like in his own world, he likened this to the exercising of a muscle. Still, the battle had taken a bit more out of him then he was comfortable with. He wouldn't be able to use any jutsu for the next two hours or so while he recovered his chakra.

"The hell kind of magic was that!?"

Naruto opened his eyes to see Barret staring at the crystallized remains of the monster he had just finished fighting. Seeing no harm in answering the question, Naruto said, "It's called Shōton, or Crystal Release. It's one of the many special materia I possess and it allows me to take any substance known to man and crystallize it like I did with this monster." Naruto looked over at the millions of crystallized shards. "Anything that is encased in crystal becomes very brittle, and a particularly strong physical attack can easily shatter whatever is inside. Though I can make the crystals more durable when I want to."

"Che, I don't understan' half of the shit you jus' said," Barret snarked. "But seriously, that's some serious shit right there. I didn't know there was materia that can do stuff like that."

"There isn't," Naruto answered, getting Barret and Red 13, who had just walked up, to snap their heads over to him. They looked at him, blinking in confusion. Naruto could understand why, he had just told them about his materia, then told them that materia like that didn't exist. In a way it didn't, the materia was a part of him, something that had followed him from his own world to this one. There would never be more materia like his. "All of the materia I possess is special in that only I can use it. Even if I were to give you one of my materia, you would never be able to actually use the powers it possess'."

"Why is that?" asked Red 13. The strange feline tilted his head to the side, he seemed curious about Naruto's abilities and why they were unique to him alone.

Naruto shrugged.

"Hell if I know. I just know that it doesn't work with anyone but me."

"Naruto!"

At the sound of his name being called Naruto turned just in time to intercept the human missile that was Aerith. He quickly caught her in mid air, spinning around once so he wouldn't lose his balance. Naruto set her on the ground but did not break contact as he held her around the waist. Aerith likewise had placed her arms around his neck. She was looking up at him with a bright smile, yet also had a worried gaze as she eyed him for injuries.

"Are you ok?"

Naruto grinned at her before adopting a wounded expression.

"I'm hurt, Aerith. Do you honestly think something as ugly as... that," he gestured with his head to the shattered crystal remains of the monster he defeated. "Could ever pose a serious threat to me?"

Shaking her head, Aerith's smile widened.

"No, I know your strong. Still..." she placed her head back on his chest, pressing her ear against his warm body so she could hear his heartbeat. It always soothed her, listening to the slow and gentle rhythm of his heart. "Thank you for coming for me."

"Hey now," Naruto started, his voice softening in an unconscious gesture of affection. "Don't you remember what I said, I promised that I would protect you, no matter what."

"I know..." She looked back up at him, still smiling though it was now softer, more intimate than it had been a few seconds ago. "Still, thank you."

Naruto would have rolled his eyes, however, any thoughts on being sarcastic left him when Aerith pressed her lips against his in a soft kiss. Despite now not being the best time – it was obviously better timed then their last one seeing as there was no Hojo around and nothing was trying to kill them, but they were still in enemy territory – Naruto closed his eyes and pressed his lips against her more firmly.

As he shared his second kiss with Aerith, he couldn't help but wonder what this meant for their relationship. Were they more than friends now? A couple? Was this just a spur of the moment thing? Would they try to go back to the comfortable status quo they had before this? Could they even go back to the way their previous relationship had been before this? Did he even want to? Did Aerith? these were things he knew they would need to talk about soon. Though they wouldn't get to speak on it now, he knew, as they still needed to escape from Shinra Headquarters. But once they made it out of Shinra Headquarters Naruto planned on speaking with Aerith about where they stood.

"Ahem."

Breaking off their kiss, Naruto and Aerith looked over at Tifa, whose expression was an odd mixture of delighted and put out. It was a look Naruto hadn't assumed was possible, but one that the busty female managed to pull off surprisingly well. She was staring at both of them, hands on her hips, which were tilted slightly, a small smile on her face, her left eyebrow raised and a tic mark on her head. All in all, it was a decidingly odd look for anyone to have.

"While I don't want to begrudge you two for showing your... your... affection for each other. We are still stuck inside of Shinra's Headquarters. I really don't think we have time for you two to be kissing right now."

"Oh my, you're right," Aerith said. From the tone of her voice it was hard to get a read on her emotions, but she didn't seem all that embarrassed about what had just happened, which was strange considering how embarrassed she could get when Naruto would tease her. Nor did she sound annoyed. It was as if she realized that Tifa was simply stating a fact.

Aerith let go of Naruto and moved out of his grasp, smiling at Tifa.

"Naruto and I can pick this up later," she determined, much to the embarrassment of the two men who were not in a relationship. Cloud and Barret both looked extremely uncomfortable by what they had witnessed, the larger of the two was fidgeting like some kind of anxious child, and the blond with the big ass sword was looking up at the ceiling trying to count the tiles. He only got to twenty five before Aerith spoke again. "We need to get out of here, after all."

"If that is the case, then perhaps I can be of assistance," Red 13 said as he stepped forward. Aerith jumped slightly as she looked at him, her eyes widening just a bit. It was a look not missed by the feline, who bowed his head ever so slightly. "I apologize for what happened back there. I was merely acting to throw Hojo off guard..."

At the mention of the mad scientist, Naruto looked around the lab with a frown. The man had disappeared some time during the battle. Not surprising given that the scientist was not a fighter, and was likely a coward as well, though it did irk him a bit, as Naruto had every intention of killing Hojo as soon as he could, but it looked like he had missed his chance. Still, he knew that there would be other chances. He just needed to be patient. Good things come to those who wait.

Barret's booming voice knocked Naruto out of his thoughts.

"Now we've rescued Aerith, ain't no need to be in this buildin'! So let's get the hell outta here!"

"You're right," Naruto started. "We should most definitely leave. Now that Shinra has been alerted to our presence, they'll no doubt send in a task force or two to try and stop us from escaping." Naruto frowned as he looked at everyone around him. "We'll be much more easily noticed if all six of us stick together. It would be prudent if we break up into two groups."

"Cloud," Naruto turned to look at his fellow blond. The man with the buster sword straightened a bit when he saw the look in Naruto's eyes. It was the one the blond possessed when he was serious, the look of a commander as he gave orders to his troops. It brought out all of Cloud's military instincts and made him feel like he was back working with SOLDIER again. "You're going to be in charge of one group, which will consist of your, Tifa and Barret. Aerith, myself and Red 13 will comprise of the other group. We'll split up and meet each other at the 66th floor elevator."

Cloud nodded as he readjusted the sword on his back.

"Got it."

Naruto watched as Barret, Cloud and Tifa left. He turned towards his two companions and smiled.

"Shall we?"

The trio quickly made their way out of the laboratory, which now looked far less like a lab and more like a train wreck. Aside from the general disorder and disarrayed state of the place, the room was covered in scorch marks, large dents pitted the floor, several pieces of expensive machinery had been blown up and were nothing more then sparking heaps of scrap metal and wiring. That was not to mention the amount of damage Naruto had done in his fight with the monster. The area where Naruto had his tussle was covered in large slash marks from his wind blades, several spiral marks on the ground and walls from his Rasengan, not to mention the crystallized shards of the monster itself.

Naruto ignored the general state of the room, only sparring it a passing glance as he exited through the nearest door. They entered a small hallway, one that held green beams of light that connected from one end of the wall to the other. There were three in total, each of them spread just a few feet apart and covering much of the walking space. Naruto could easily bypass it by walking on the wall, but the others wouldn't be able to. With a bit of caution, he stuck his hand in the first beam, and when it didn't do anything began walking through it and the other two, Aerith and Red 13 following right behind him.

The door was located on the left wall. Naruto and his two companions walked through it to reveal another corridor that curved around the building. It ended in a dead end with a door, one that led to the stairwell Naruto had been using since reaching the sixty-first floor. As they began walking down the stairs, making their way towards the sixty-sixth floor, the blond turned to look at Aerith, who was walking by his side.

"Hojo didn't do anything to you, did he?"

Aerith looked startled at the question. She looked over at him, blinking for a moment as her mind registered what he had said. After a moment or two, she shook her head and smiled. "No, he hadn't been able to subject me to anything yet." She smiled a second later, her eyes glinting mischievously. It was a look she had only gained after spending time with Naruto. "Though they had been forced to put me to sleep after I bit one of his scientists in the hand."

Naruto chuckled a bit at that, though he was mildly concerned about hearing that she was drugged. Who knew what a man like Hojo might have done to Aerith when she was asleep. He was only thankful that Shinra needed Aerith to be relatively unharmed so they could somehow make her show them to the promised land, which meant if nothing else Hojo would be forced to stay his hand from doing any drastic experiments on the girl.

Red 13 looked up at the two of them for a moment. There was something different about these two humans. He really couldn't put his finger... paws on it, but he just felt that they were nothing like any of the other humans he had met, even the ones that the blond man had come with. Shaking his head, the feline got back to walking. Moving down stairs on four paws was more difficult then it was for a biped.

They reached the hallway sixty-sixth floor quickly enough. Naruto sighed as he closed his eyes and focused on enhancing his hearing. He pressed his ears against the door, listening. After several seconds in which he heard no footsteps coming near them, or any at all, he opened the door and led the way out, Aerith and Red 13 following just slightly behind him.

As they made their way through the marble hallways, a small touch of concern went through Naruto's mind. A warning of possible impending danger. The hallway was too quiet for his tastes. Where just moments before there had been nearly a dozen workers walking through the hall or chatting could be heard in several of the offices, now everything was deathly quiet. It was as if everyone had vacated the premises.

Shaking his head, Naruto continued forward. Even if the area had been evacuated, there was nothing he could do about it. As much as it sucked, if he was talking into a trap, there would be no way to avoid it. He was tired, low on chakra, had Aerith and Red 13 with him – which meant no escaping via climbing outside and wall walking down the building – and had to worry about the three members of his team that he split up with. They may have already run into a trap themselves, and if that was the case, then he would need to find them and ensure they were rescued as well.

_'Those who abandon their comrades are worse then trash, after all,'_ Naruto thought to himself, a little melancholy at remembering his old sensei's words. _'Isn't that right, Kakashi-sensei?'_

They made it into the elevator with little difficulty. Aerith walked over to the glass and pressed her hands against it, looking out of the window with curious eyes. Red 13 didn't seem to interested in the sights, and instead sat down with his back to the glass as he watched Naruto, who was moving over to the control console, a small frown on his face. He wondered how long he should wait for the others to get here. They were supposed to meet up right here, and they had left before him. So if they weren't here then...

The door to the elevator opened and Naruto cursed to himself. Beside him Aerith stiffened while Red 13 growled at the intruder. As nonchalantly as he could, Naruto turned around to meet the person who had entered the elevator with him.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other, hasn't it, Naruto?" The person said with a small smile, looking amused at the situation, or perhaps just pleased at finally getting one over on him.

Naruto chuckled a bit.

"It has. I had been led to believe you were on some top secret assignment, Cissnei."

A small frown passed across Cissnei's face at his words, a flicker of surprise shown in her eyes. It settled down after a second, however, and her smile came back. Shaking her head, the young Turk replied, amused. "I'm not even going to ask how you know that. I was on a mission, in fact, all of the Turks had been sent on that mission."

"I see. That would explain why Aerith and I didn't have any tails for the past two months until Reno tried capturing her a few days ago." Naruto turned around fully, absently sending his blade back into it's pocket dimension. Fighting someone like Cissnei inside such an enclosed space – especially when Aerith was also inside – would not be wise. Instead, he focused on their conversation, chatting with the woman as if they were old friends. "That also must be why only Reno was able to come after us. I suspect several of your members had received injuries during this assignment?"

Cissnei's amused smile never left as she looked at the blond. "Even when you know you've been captured, you're still trying to get information out of us."

Naruto shrugged.

"Well, I figured so long as I'm stuck, I might as well learn as much as I can."

"Um... excuse me," Aerith said, bringing all attention to her. She had been listening to Naruto banter back and forth with this woman for several minutes now, and was truthfully starting to get a little annoyed. It must have shown on her face, because Naruto began looking a tad sheepish. "Naruto, how do you know this woman?"

"Eh? She's one of the Turks," Naruto said, as if that explained everything. It didn't, and Aerith's 'I demand an explanation' expression didn't waver in the slightest. Seeing this, he quickly began to elaborate. "See, she was one of the people who had been sent to capture you several times in the past. I don't think you two actually met because I had always intercepted her before she could actually get near you."

"I see... and what is your relationship with her?"

"Relationship!?" Naruto squeaked in surprise. Aerith raised a single, delicate eyebrow. She crossed her arms under her bust and began tapping her foot in an impatient manner that told Naruto he'd better answer quickly. Standing beside him, Cissnei had the decency to blush, feeling embarrassed by the question and the straightforward manner it was asked. As Naruto began trying to calm Aerith down and tell her that there was no relationship between him and Cissnei, said girl could only sigh as she realized that this was going to be a long ride up.

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><p><strong>Chapters quite a bit shorter than my other one. I thought about extending it, but this felt like a good place to end it.<strong>

**So, I got asked a question on whether the pairing would be Naruto/Aerith/Tifa in one of my recent reviews. I've already answered that question but I'll answer it again, this story, for the moment is strictly Naruto/Aerith. There is a possibility of Naruto/Aerith/Cissnei in the future, but as of this moment I don't really know if I'm going to go that route. However, I do know that Tifa will NOT be paired with Naruto.**

**I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I'll leave you all here.**

**Pokemaster12 out.**


	18. A4 C18: Escape

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arch 4: Shinra Infiltration**

**Chapter 18: Escape**

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><p>With Cissnei leading them and Tseng taking up the rear, Naruto and Red 13 walked up a set stairs. The sound of ruffling made itself known as Red 13's pawed feet lightly scratched the rich, purple carpeting of the stairwell, another expression of opulence that Naruto was beginning to suspect was common in this place. He looked at the back of Cissnei's head, tempted to restart a conversation with the girl, if for no other reason then to appear uncaring about their situation so as to leave everyone off guard. But in the end decided not to.<p>

The room was far larger then necessary for an office, though this was not unexpected given who this particular place of work belonged to. The light tapping sounds of booted feet hitting the ground resounded throughout the room as expensive carpeting gave way to an intricately designed marble floor, with gray, white and black colored tiling spread across the room in a pattern of perfect symmetry. Oblong columns stood on either side of the room, two on the inner side next to each staircase – making four in total – and one on either side of the large, elevated desk.

The desk itself was large, slightly square in shape but with rounded edges. It sat sat several feet above the rest of the room, with a small set of stairs covered in rich red carpeting in the back. Naruto could just make out several glowing panels and screens behind the desk, their greenish blue hue casting sharp angles over the fat President Shinra's face.

Barret, Cloud and Tifa were already there. Much like Naruto and his group, they too had been cuffed in rather sturdy handcuffs. Naruto was actually surprised to find that he couldn't break them, even when enhancing his muscles with chakra. Looking at the three who had obviously arrived before him, he saw that Cloud's muscles were tense, obviously he had been trying to break out of them as well. Barret's face, however, was what had caught his attention the most. Aside from the fact that it looked strained from many unsuccessful attempts to break out his handcuffs, it was also beet red and held an almost comical look of anger as he glared at President Shinra.

Naruto, alongside Red 13, walked forward until they were standing next to their companions.

"Somehow," the blond started, his voice sounding more amused then anything else. "I feel like I should blame Barret for this situation."

"Say what!?" Barret shouted, causing Naruto to chuckle. Cloud and Tifa both managed to crack a grin even though they looked strained. It was clear they knew what he was trying to do, and appreciated it even though now wasn't the best time for jokes. Even Cissnei had to cough several times so she wouldn't giggle at the blond's small joke.

Naruto frowned as he looked around, Aerith wasn't with them, having been taken away at some point during their march. He didn't know where she was, but at the moment he wasn't worried. They wouldn't hurt her yet, that much he was certain of. They needed her alive and healthy.

And he would find her again, all it would take was time and cunning.

"So... you're president Shinra, eh?" Naruto looked over at the man with a critical gaze before breaking out into a smile. "I must say that suit is impeccable. You must tell me where you get your dry cleaning done." Cissnei snorted, causing both Tseng and President Shinra to look over at her. She mumbled out a quick apology before trying to regain her professional demeanor, which consisted of turning her head so they wouldn't see her embarrassed blush.

President Shinra looked away from the young Turk to gaze at the piercing blue eyes of Naruto. Leaning back in his chair he laced his fingers together, with the index fingers of both sticking out as he regarded the blond with a cool gaze. "So you are the young ex-SOLDIER whose been giving us so much trouble this last year... it seems the reports about you being a joker are rather accurate."

"I try," Naruto said lightly, before turning serious. His expression suddenly grew cold, his smile turning into a frown as his eyes, once alight with warmth and mischief were now icy orbs of blue, colder then the frozen continent that held the North Crater. "Where is Aerith?"

Beside him, Cissnei shivered at the tone, having never heard it from the congenial blond before. Tseng felt a trickle of sweat roll down his scalp, while the members of Naruto's group shifted uncomfortably. No one liked that tone, it caused the hackles to raise on the backs of their necks and a trickle of fear to worm it's way into their guts. The tone spoke of pain, of death on swift wings to all who denied it what it wanted. It wasn't the tone of voice any of them wanted directed at them.

President Shinra, either wasn't worried, or was just to arrogant to let his fear show as he leaned back in his chair even more and smirked.

"In a safe place," he said at last, his tone conversational. "She's the last surviving Ancient..." President Shinra stood up a moment later and made his way down the steps. He stopped by the window, looking out at the city he owned, filled with mindless ants whose sole purpose was to feed more and more power to Shinra. He turned, looking at the group as he spread his arms out in an all-encompassing gesture. "Don't you know? They called themselves the Cetra, and lived thousands of years ago. Now they are just a forgotten page in history."

"Cetra..." Red 13 said, surprised by this new piece of information. Naruto looked down and saw a glint of recognition in the animals eyes at the name. It seemed his newest companion was more knowledgeable than he let on. Red 13 looked over at President Shinra as the man walked towards them. "That girl, is she a survivor of the Cetra?"

President Shinra didn't answer Red 13, instead choosing to continue his small tirade. "Cetra, or the Ancients, will show us the way to the _Promised Land_. I'm expecting a lot out of her."

"The _Promised Land_?" once more Red 13 tried to get his question answered. "Isn't that just a legend?"

"Perhaps," President Shinra admitted, finally answering one of the questions the feline had asked as he stepped in front of Naruto. He looked at the man, smirking as if he had won the lottery. "However, the legend of the _Promised Land _is simply too appealing not to pursue. It's been said that the _Promised Land _is very fertile..." the man's smirk widened until it threatened to split his face. "... and if the land is fertile..."

"Then there's gotta be Mako!" Barret said in realization. His face looked stunned, as if he had finally figured out the most important piece of the puzzle. Cloud's expression was also one of understanding, though his was more from realization than shock. Of course Shinra would be after something like that. A place that held a lot of Mako would be a paradise for them to build their Reactors. No wonder they pursued Aerith with such zeal.

"Exactly. That is why our Mako Reactors are necessary. The abundant Mako will just come out on it's own. That is where Neo-Midgar will be built. Shinra's new glory..."

"I don't really care about any of that," Naruto said, before Barret – who looked like he was about to blow a fuse – could say anything. President Shinra turned his head back to Naruto, who smiled a cold, cruel smile. "If I find that you've harmed one hair on Aerith's head, I will make you suffer horrors so terrible that even the late Sepheroth would quake in fear at the mere mention of them." And in that single, solitary moment the president of the worlds largest and most powerful corporation fell onto his knees as the blond unloaded enough killing intent to kill a cow via heart failure.

"President Shinra!" Tseng shouted in shock as he went over to the President and knelt down. "Are you alright, sir?"

However, President Shinra was not listening. His pupils were dilated, his body shaking in fear as a cold sweat burst out on his face and neck by the bucket loads, staining his perfect red suit. The feeling of impending death was suffocating him, he couldn't breath, he couldn't think, it felt like the entire focus of his being was being compressed into a tube, as if death itself were standing over him-and-his-vision-was-going-blurry-because-he-was-losing-oxygen-and-he-could-only-pray-that-it-would-end-soon-and –

President Shinra sucked in a deep breath, gasping the oxygen that now began flowing into his mouth greedily as the feeling of his impending destruction was gone, and he was surprised to find himself lying on his back with Tseng standing over him. Just a little behind Tseng, Cissnei stood, glancing at him but also occasionally sending uncertain looks over at Naruto.

"Are you alright, President Shinra?" the man asked with a worried expression. No matter what he thought about the President, this man was his boss, or the boss of his boss. Either way, he was important and it was Tseng's job to ensure his safety.

President Shinra tried to speak, but all that came out was a croaking sound. He wet his lips and tried to swallow, but found his throat abnormally dry. Tseng ordered Cissnei to get some water, and only after gulping down the entire glass, could the President of the worlds largest company say anything. Even then, all he could say was, "take them to the cells," as his mind was far too busy trying to calm itself down from having felt Deaths cold embrace just a few short seconds prior.

Tseng quickly ordered Cissnei to escort the group of infiltrators to the cells, an order which the woman quickly complied with. However, as she began leading the group away – Barret was surprisingly docile as he tried to figure out what had just happened and thus didn't put up a fight – she couldn't help but wonder as to what had just happened. One second Naruto was threatening the president, and the next the man she worked for looked like he was dying from cardiac arrest.

Somehow, she knew that it was Naruto's doing, and the thought that he could do something like that by just looking at a person made her shiver in fear.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Aerith sighed as she lay on the only bed in her cell. The room was bare, cold steel walls were painted a dull grey. A toilet in the corner opposite of the bed, it's grimy seat covered in rust from disuse. The door was locked, the light shining over it glowing a violent red as if to mock her. The only light fixture in the room was a basic lamp above her bed, shining down in a harsh white, casting shadows with the few objects in the room and making the entire place seem even more uninviting. She wasn't really sure how long she had been in it, there was no clock for her to tell how much time had passed, but she supposed it didn't matter. Even a minute would feel like an hour in this place. With nothing to do to pass the time, Aerith let her mind wander.<p>

After that girl, Cissnei, had more or less placed them under arrest, Aerith had been separated from the group by Reno. An annoyed look crossed her face as she remembered the way the man had touched her when he was leading her towards her cell. If she ever saw that man again, she was going to make sure he regret groping her ass like that. Of course, she would have to get out of this prison first.

Thinking of her cell, she couldn't help but wonder what had happened to the others. Had they been taken away? Were they alright? Had they been executed? She couldn't truly be sure of any of these questions, though she hoped they were ok. Aerith didn't think anything bad would happen to them, at least, not with Naruto there. She was sure he would think of a way to get them out of this situation. The blond had always been resourceful like that.

A hand went to her lips as she thought about Naruto. A small smile made it's way to her face as she remembered their kiss. It had been poorly timed, both of them, their first kiss more so then the second. It had been something she felt she should have expected from the blond, he never did anything normally. Thinking about that she could almost hear his voice telling her that normal was overrated. Still, Aerith really couldn't find it in herself to complain. Maybe she wasn't normal either.

Sighing, Aerith tried to imagine that she was somewhere else, somewhere pleasant – particularly somewhere with Naruto. She honestly didn't care where she was, so long as he was with her.

Before she could even begin getting a good image in her mind, the clanking sounds of several booted feet hitting the floor came to her through the doorway. Even better, she could hear a voice that was unmistakably Naruto's.

"So that's your boss, huh? I feel pretty sorry for you, aside from being a fat ass he seems kinda flaky."

Aerith stood up, hope flashing through her eyes as she moved over to the door. Placing both hands on it she leaned her ear against the door to try and hear more of what was being said. Her eyes flashed slightly when she picked up the next voice, and recognized it as well.

"I suspect that his momentary lapse had something to do with you."

"Really? I suppose it's possible. I mean, he could have been so amazed the sheer amounts of awesome I exude on a daily basis that he just lost control of his bladder. Some people are like that, they simply don't possess a strong enough will to bask in my presence for very long."

Several snickers followed this pronouncement, including one from the voice Aerith recognized as Cissnei. The Ancient couldn't help but roll her eyes at her... well, she wasn't sure what he was, but he was important, Naruto's comment. It was just so Naruto-ish that even the irritation she felt at hearing Cissnei's voice again was overridden.

"Uh huh. I wonder where such confidence comes from. Or perhaps I should say arrogance."

"Ouch. Oh Cissnei, you wound me so. Have I not proven myself to be more then capable of outwitting Shinra?"

"It looks like you lost your touch then. We did capture you after all."

"That's because I'm with these people. they're all a bunch of rank amateurs when it comes to stealth and infiltration missions."

"What was that, spiky!?" Shouted the gravelly voice of Barret.

Naruto's voice, tinged with amusement said, "you see what I mean. Could you imagine this guy trying to sneak into Shinra Headquarters? He's so not ninja material." Aerith didn't even need to try to picture the amused smile touching the blond shinobi's face as he spoke. He was definitely getting his kicks in while he could.

"Oh, is that what you are?"

"Of course, I'm the best damn ninja you'll ever meet... I would give you all my introductory dance, but I kinda have my hands tied right now."

"..."

"You have a dance?"

Aerith tried not to giggle at the deadpanned voice of Cloud. It was even funnier to her because she had actually seen Naruto's 'introductory dance' before. It was definitely one for the record of stupidest and most hilarious things she had ever seen in her life.

"Every great ninja should also have a great introductory dance."

…

"Whatever, I'm not even gonna ask."

"Mou, meanie."

The rest of the journey seemed to be made in silence. The sound of footsteps rang ever closer. Aerith moved back and walked back over to her bed, sitting against it as she waited. The '_wooshing' _sound of two doors opening up next to her echoed in the small corridor and her room. She could hear several people walking into the rooms. The doors closed with another loud '_woosh' _followed by a _'click' _as the doors locked shut, and then there was silence for several more seconds. Then the sound of soft footsteps came to her door. Aerith tensed for a moment, wondering if they were going to take her away when Cissnei's voice rang out again.

"This is your room. I believe you'll find it the most... accommodating." There was a slight pause, followed by Cissnei speaking again. "I hope you're suitably grateful for this. I'm going to catch a lot of flack from my boss for what I'm about to do."

Aerith's heart leapt in her throat when she heard another voice say, "I feel like you're trying to tell me something important here."

An exasperated sigh came from Cissnei. "Just get in there."

There was a click, the sound of something falling to the floor, before the '_woosh'_ sounded again and the door opened. Aerith looked on for a moment as Naruto strode into her cell. He took in the room for just a second before his eyes landed on hers and he smiled. Without saying a word, Aerith swiftly moved over to him, practically launching herself from the bed, and wrapping her arms around his waist, her head leaning against his chest. A pair of arms wrapped around her, engulfing her in a feeling of warmth and security, and suddenly, Aerith found that she couldn't care less if she was being held captive by Shinra.

"You're right," he called back to Cissnei as the door slammed shut with the same _'woosh, click' _of the others. "I like this cell a lot better then the other ones." A ringing call of "I told you so" came to the pair but it was ignored as Naruto rested his cheek against Aerith's head.

They basked in each others presence, neither moving nor feeling the need to speak just yet. It was, in all honesty, the first true moment of peace they'd had together since Cloud fell through the ceiling of their Church.

However, the silence had to be broken some time and Naruto decided to be the one who did it. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine," Aerith said, her voice a barely audible whisper. She closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself the small luxury of luxuriating in Naruto's warmth. In all her years she had never felt as at peace and content as she did when he was holding her. After a moment, she opened them again and tilted her head up, forcing him to remove his head as she looked up at him. "What about you? The others?"

"They're fine," Naruto said, before looking at the wall behind her bed, a pleasant grin on his face, despite the situation. "Right guys!"

"Shaddup!" Came from the angry shout from their resident former resistance leader. "You're too damn loud!"

"Says the guy who shouts constantly," Naruto teased. There were a couple of snickers coming from the other side, feminine ones, definitely Tifa. She could also hear a pair of coughs, most likely Cloud and Red 13 as they tried not to laugh, and the grumbling complaints of "no good, spiky-head assholes" coming from Barret. It sounded like everyone was with them.

"I'm glad everyone's alright," Aerith said, loud enough for whoever was in the next room to hear her.

"Aerith, is that you?" asked Tifa. The sound of rustling came to her, followed by footsteps that grew closer before stopping right next to the wall. If she had to guess, Aerith would say Tifa had been on the bed before hearing her speak.

"Yes."

"Oh, thank the Planet! Are you alright?"

Aerith shifted a bit in Naruto's grip. Looking up at the blond, she smiled and said, "I am now."

There was a moment of silence, followed by Tifa's amused reply, "I'll bet."

Naruto snickered a bit, his shoulders shaking as he tried to laugh quietly. Aerith gave a mild pout. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Nothing, nothing."

"Hmph." Aerith huffed a bit. Eventually she removed herself from Naruto's grasp, the reasons becoming clear when she grabbed the blonds hand and walked over to the bed. As if knowing what she wanted, Naruto sat down and scooted his back against the wall.

He spread his legs out slightly, forming a triangle as Aerith crawled in between his legs and then turned around, scooting herself backwards. When her shapely rear pressed against him, she leaned her torso back, shifting until she was comfortable and snug against his chest. Naruto's arms soon came back around her waist, his hands proceeding to rest against her trim stomach. Was it just him, or was she beginning to show signs of muscles definition? It looks like that training he gave her was paying off.

Aerith's own hands soon came up and she placed them over Naruto's. She felt the blond behind her shift a bit as a chin came to rest on her right shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Naruto's whiskered face and smiled before leaning her head against his.

"Comfortable?" asked Naruto, chuckling a bit when she huffed a little. However, despite the noise that generally came from disapproval, the smile on her face said she was very comfortable. A moment later, the blond spoke again. "Hey, Aerith?"

"Hmm?" Aerith hummed to let him know she was listening. She felt her eyelids close, as they always did when she was being held by Naruto, likely because of the natural heat he emitted. That, or she supposed it could just be due to how safe she felt while she was being held in his arms. She had never really figured out just why she felt the soft lull of sleep when like this, and while a part of her had always been curious, another part found it simply didn't care.

"I was hoping we could talk... about us?"

Aerith did open her eyes at that. She shifted a bit, scooting her body to the left so she could turn around slightly and look at his face. As she moved however, her backside pushed against something stiff that caused her to freeze and Naruto to stiffen. With a blush on her face she moved again, and when she felt her rear graze against what felt like a rod of metal, the red hue on her face turned into atomic levels.

"C-Could you stop that?" Naruto hissed, his own face quite red.

"Sorry," Aerith muttered, embarrassed. "It's just..."

"Look, can we please not talk about... that," Naruto felt distinctly uncomfortable now. He was usually quite good at controlling his hormonal reaction to being in such an intimate position with Aerith, but it seemed the excitement of the day was causing him to slip. The blond made a small note to ask Cissnei if they had a cold shower somewhere around here that he could use.

Shaking his head, he did his utmost to refocus his attention. "Listen, I... there's something important I want to talk to you about."

Getting over her own embarrassment, Aerith's cheeks returned to a more natural state – though they were still a bit reddened – as she finally managed to turn her body around until it was perpendicular with Naruto's. Aerith stretched her legs around, allowing them to lay over Naruto's left leg as she placed her hands behind her to act as her support.

Now that her back was no longer turned to Naruto, Aerith began studying him for a moment, and noticed that he seemed... hesitant? No, that wasn't it, he looked somewhat afraid. It still didn't quite fit, but that was the closest thing she could think of to describe the expression on his face. Or maybe apprehensive would be better.

Smiling in an effort to ease his mind, she asked, "what about us?"

Naruto's tongue darted out between his lips to wet them, a sign of nervousness, before he spoke. "I know this probably isn't the best time, seeing as how we're captured and all." Understatement of the year. Being stuck in Shinra Headquarters was definitely the worst place to have a conversation like this, but as always when it came to anything Naruto tended to throw conventional tactics out the window. "But I was thinking about, well, us... you know. I mean, we've known each other for a while now, and uh, I like to think we're fairly close..."

As Naruto continued speaking, rambling on without actually getting to the point, Aerith had to resist rolling her eyes.

It shouldn't come as a surprise, but Naruto had never been good at forming a meaningful relationship with the women in his life. Thanks in large part to how socially inept he was due to his lonely childhood. When he was younger, his idea of getting someone to go out with him had been to ask the girl in question until she had gotten annoyed with him. Given that the girl at the time happened to be Sakura, this usually ended up with him being beaten, usually to the point that Naruto ended up bloody and bruised. Perhaps the brain damage it had caused had been the reason Naruto had never stopped pestering the girl for dates when he had been younger. That had been one of the theories proposed by one Ino Yamanaka at least.

As Naruto grew older and he had come back from his training trip with Jiraiya of the Sannin as a more mature – slightly – teenager, his pestering Sakura for dates had lessened. And eventually, they had stopped all together. After a while, the blond had more or less given up on actually getting the pinkette to fall in love with him, and had started focusing all of his attention on bringing Sasuke back. It had been his hope that even if he could never find love, at the very least the girl he felt so much affection towards could. It had been that reason and that reason alone that had driven him to ignore his instincts about Sasuke's growing mental instability, madness and desire for revenge until it had been too late.

When Naruto and Sakura _had_ actually ended up getting together, it had not been a surprise to any of their friends that it had, in fact, been Sakura who had pushed them into a relationship. It had been about two months after Naruto himself had entered the war against Akatsuki with Killer Bee. Naruto had defeated Obito's Jinchurikki paths and had forced the man, as well as the resurrected Madara Uchiha, to retreat, and Sasuke had found the exhausted blond just a little while later and attempted to kill him.

It went without saying that Naruto had lost that battle. Exhausted as he was from having defeated thousands of Zetsu clones, fought against Nagato, and then combated Obito and his paths, and then fought against Obito and Madara, there was no way he had stood a chance against a well-rested Sasuke. It had only been thanks to the combined efforts of Killer Bee, Kakashi and Gai that Naruto had survived. And even then Gai had opened up all eight gates, sacrificing himself so the others could escape.

That had been the turning point for Sakura. Having been the one who had been forced to heal him as Kurama and his chakra had been on the flux due to them just recently gaining each others trust and friendship and both having used up almost all of their chakra fighting against the indomitable monster that was Madara Uchiha. Seeing the damage that had been done to him, as well as being given the news that Sasuke was the one who caused it had been the focal point that caused her feelings to shift. During the time Naruto had been healing, Sakura had stayed with him the whole time. And when Naruto had fully healed, she had more or less told them that they were now dating, and if he so much as looked at another girl, she would use her super-strength to smash his balls off.

Then she had kissed him and that was that as far as she was concerned.

Thankfully for him, he had never looked at another woman, even Hinata, who he knew had liked him – after all, having someone confess their love for you just before getting almost killed makes it difficult not to realize when they have feelings for you. It was unfortunate that only two months after they had gotten together Sakura ended up being killed by the very person Naruto had promised her he would bring back.

The only other relationship he had been in was with Mei, and given that the relationship they had each other was based more on sex than love, it was easy to see why Naruto was so terrible when it came to actually starting a relationship. He simply had no clue what to say or do.

Not wanting to listen to Naruto ramble on and on without actually getting to the point, and since she was fairly certain she knew what his point was, Aerith did the one thing that could make any straight male shut up.

She kissed him.

Grabbing Naruto's face in both hands, Aerith brought his head down while tilting hers up. Their lips met in a kiss that not only shut the blond up immediately after feeling the soft warmth pressing against his mouth, but also had his eyes widening to the point where it looked like they would simply roll out of his sockets.

He looked quite surprised, but really, he probably shouldn't have been. This was pretty much how his other two relationships were formed, different circumstances, but still similar. He soon got over his surprise, very quickly in fact, closed his eyes, and kissed back.

A small jolt seemed to pass through the both of them, like an electric current as it raced along a set of wires and surged into a power conduit. Only this current was running through their nerves, the arcing feel of electricity was nothing more then adrenaline rushing through their bodies, empowering the nerve endings in their lips to give them a hyper sensitivity that allowed the pair to feel every movement and gentle caress of the others lips with the same level of acuteness one would feel if they were getting hit by a bolt of lightning. Thankfully, what they were doing was far more pleasant then getting hit by a bolt of lightning.

Naruto's arms tightened around Aerith's waist, pulling the brunette closer to him. Her hands left his face, sliding down his neck to his shoulders, where they proceeded to move around him until her arms were wrapped firmly around his neck.

The kiss didn't deepen, there was no dueling tongues nor a gratuitous exchange of saliva. Being the one who had far more experience in kissing – ie, the only kissing Aerith had experienced were the two with Naruto just a few hours ago – Naruto was the one who took control after Aerith's initial lip-lock. He placed a gentle kiss on her lower lips, applying a light pressure before irregularly switching between one lip then the other. As he began to work a light suckling action into his kiss, one of Aerith's hands came up, grasping his the blond's head and held him in place, unwilling to let go. Her other hand seized the back of his shirt.

Aerith was in heaven. Or at the very least she was in the mental equivalent of heaven. She was finally doing something she had dreamed of for a long time now. Kissing the man that had become an important part of her life, and was in many ways a pillar of strength for her. The feel of his lips against hers were surprisingly soft, warm and moist, not at all like how she expected them to be considering how much work outside he did. It felt like someone had slipped a silk garment over her lips.

The young woman did not know exactly how long she had harbored feelings for the blond she was currently engaged in a lip-lock with. Though she wouldn't deny that she had dreamed about him several times since she had first seen him awake, half-naked and covered in bandages. However, she did remember the day she had realized her feelings for the blond. It had been at night, just a few hours after the Turks had made their attempted kidnapping on her for the first time since Naruto had come to Gaia. When he had promised to protect her, that had been the moment she knew that she what she felt for him was more than what she would feel for a friend, yet different than what she would feel for a family member.

Feeling Naruto's lips pull away from hers, a small whine of protest escaped her throat. Her eyes fluttered open and found themselves staring into the brilliant blue orbs she had grown so familiar with just a few inches from her own. The blond was so close to her that their noses grazed and bumped against each other, she could even feel his warm breath hitting her lips, causing her to shiver slightly.

He smiled at her a second later, then leaned down again, pressing his lips to the left side of her mouth, then pulling back and doing the same on the right side. Once more he pulled back after a lingering a few seconds longer then normal, then placed anther kiss directly on her lips. Aerith kissed back, enjoying to feel of his mouth over hers. Even after the kiss ended nearly a minute later, she could still feel the lingering sensation of his lips as they pressed against her own.

Tilting his head down a little, Naruto pressed his forehead against hers, a small smile lighting his face.

"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."

"Probably not as long as I have," Aerith remarked with a wry smile. Naruto had to blink at that. He looked at her curiously for a moment. Seeing the small smile on her face and the teasing glint in her eyes made him chuckle, a sound which created a deep rumble that reverberated pleasantly throughout her being. He leaned down again, kissing her softly again. It was a kiss she was all to ready and eager to return.

The two would have probably continued along this vein for quite some time, were it not for the voice of Tifa snapping them out of there self-imposed world.

"Ugh... can you two please stop that. I can hear you from in here."

Aerith and Naruto both blushed, having not realized – or more then likely forgotten – that they were in the presence of other people, and the walls weren't all that thick. Had they really been so loud that Tifa could hear them? All they could do was mumble out an apology as they tried not to look at each other. Strangely enough, though they refused to meet each others gaze, they stayed in their position with Aerith sitting on Naruto's lap, their arms tightly wrapped around the other.

In her own shared cell with Cloud, a red faced Tifa grunted. Rolling over on the bed she closed her eyes, ignoring the presence of an equally red in the face Cloud. Maybe now she could finally get some sleep.

Unfortunately for her, sleep was difficult to come by, because every time she closed her eyes she pictured herself in Aerith's place, and a certain someone she liked in Naruto's. Needless to say, it would be a very long night for Tifa Lockhart.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Cloud woke up with the distinct feeling that something was wrong. As someone who was a very light sleeper, the ex-SOLDIER was quite perceptive to shifts in the atmosphere, and the tension he now felt permeating the air around him was one such shift. With the sharp eyes of a warrior looking for the knife that could very well end up being stabbed into his back, Cloud looked around the room.<p>

Very little had changed from when he had decided to go to sleep, Tifa was still lying on the bed, her back turned to him. The slow compression and decompression of her shoulder blades showed that she was sleeping. She looked completely undisturbed. From his position sitting on the floor with his legs straightened out while he leaned against the wall, it took a moment for him to figure out just what the problem was.

The light above the door was green. The door itself was open.

Bolting to his feet, Cloud stared at the open door in shock. How had the door opened? Who had opened it? Was it one of his comrades? Or someone else? Knowing that he wouldn't get the answers to those questions by standing their, gaping at the door like an idiot, the blond haired ex-SOLDIER cautiously made his way to the door, his senses on high alert. There was no telling what he could find on the other side, but the odds were more than likely that it wouldn't be pleasant. His instincts were practically screaming at him, telling him danger was near.

Carefully, he peeked out of the doorway, his head turning left and right as he looked for any sign of who, or what had opened the door.

Nothing.

No, wait. There was something there near the turn that led to the elevator.

Cloud's eyes froze when he caught sight of the dead guard, his face splattered red, lying in an ever growing pool of blood. Previous caution forgotten, Cloud rushed over to the man, kneeling down as he looked at the dead guard. There were several puncture marks in the man's body, the left shoulder, the stomach, the solar plexus and the throat. Cloud was unsure which wound had killed the man, but he supposed it didn't matter.

Standing back up he ran back into his cell and stopped in front of the bed. He leaned down, reaching over to grab Tifa's shoulder. He began to shake her awake, a quiet urgency in his movements.

"Tifa!" his voice came out a whispered hiss, "Wake up!"

Tifa groaned, clearly not wishing to return to the land of the living, though she did so with obvious reluctance. Rolling onto her back, bleary red eyes opened and looked at the spiky mop of blond hair standing over her.

"Cloud...?" she groaned out quietly, her voice cracking slightly from having just woke up.

"Something's wrong," Cloud said, the worry and urgency in his voice causing the last vestige of sleep to leave Tifa. She looked at him for several seconds before pushing herself into a seated position.

"What's wrong?" she asked, looking into the worried gaze of her childhood friend.

"Look outside."

"Outside?"

It was then that Tifa noticed that the door to their cell was open. Her eyes widening, Tifa ran out the door, Cloud following right behind her. There she found the dead guard, and a look of horror and surprise came across her face. Whether that was from the gruesome sight of the guards bloody corpse, or the knowledge that someone had killed him without her knowing Cloud couldn't be sure. She looked over at him, her eyes wide.

"What happened?"

Cloud shook his head, signifying that he didn't know. A thought passed his mind. Moving over to the guard, he knelt down again and began ruffling through the man's clothes. He ignored Tifa's questioning look, which he could feel staring at the back of his head. It took him a moment, but he eventually found what he was looking for.

"Here we are, the keys for the cells," Cloud said, holding up the items he had been searching for. He looked at the pair of keys, determining which ones opened which door. It wasn't that hard, they both had the cell number they belonged to on them. Pulling one of the keys off the chain, he handed it to Tifa, who looked at him in confusion. Seeing this, he spoke. "Open the cell for Aerith and Naruto while I get Barret and Red 13."

"Ah, right," Tifa grabbed the key and walked over to the door that Aerith and Naruto were behind. As Cloud walked over to the one holding Barret and Red 13, Tifa looked at the small key slot on the left side of the door. She stuck the key inside, turning it clockwise. The light above the doorway flashed from red to green. With a sibilant_ 'hiss'_ of the locking mechanism opening, followed by the standard _'woosh'_ the door opened and Tifa walked inside.

She promptly stopped once both feet had made it passed the door, unable to determine whether she should feel annoyed her 'aww'd' at the sight before her.

Naruto and Aerith were resting peacefully. Both were lying on their side, but were facing each other. Aerith had one hand clinging to the front of Naruto's shirt as she snuggled her face into his chest as she used his right arm as a pillow, and her left arm was looped over his torso. Naruto had engulfed the much smaller girl in a hug, his left arm wrapped tightly around her petite frame at the waist. His chin was lightly resting atop her head, tucking it securely underneath him. It was quite possibly the most adorable scene she had ever lain witness to.

And for some reason it annoyed the hell out of her.

Shaking her head and banishing the annoyance, unsure why she even felt it, Tifa made her way towards the sleeping pair.

Only one of them wasn't sleeping. Tifa froze when she noticed the glowing blue eyes that had locked onto her. They had flown open so fast she wasn't even sure they had been closed in the first place. The blond looked at her, unblinking, his gaze piercing her with the hunger of a predator as it stalked it's prey. It was a highly unnerving sight.

"Um..."

"Something's happened."

Tifa nodded, unsure of how he knew that, but unwilling to question him. Naruto just seemed to know these things, it was very rare that she ever saw him surprised.

A sigh escaped Naruto's lips as he shifted from his comfortable position. His free hand, the one whose arm was not being used as a pillow gently rolled Aerith onto her back. It took a bit of work, her left hand was tightly clenching his shirt and held her in place, but he managed. Sitting up Naruto slid his arm out from under her, replacing it with a pillow so she wouldn't hit her head. Then he began to shake her awake.

"Aerith, hey Aerith. We need to get up."

"Mmmmnnggg, five more minutes," Aerith mumbled. She rolled back towards him and attempted to grab him again. The blond just barely managed to keep her from latching onto him with a vice grip. Naruto looked up at Tifa, who rolled her eyes, a sign that she would not help him with this. Sighing, he shook Aerith some more, and eventually succeeded in waking her up.

"Naruto?" Aerith asked, blinking her bleary eyes as she stared up at the blurry figure of yellow that soon began sharpening into the image of the blond she knew so well.

"We need to get up," Naruto said without preamble. "Something's happened."

Aerith frowned, sitting up as Naruto crawled over her and off the bed. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes before grabbing the hand Naruto had offered her and allowing him to help her stand. Taking a moment to get her bearings, Aerith looked around and finally noticed Tifa standing in the room with them, looking impatient.

"Tifa?" she questioned, her eyes widening slightly.

"We need to move." Tifa didn't bother saying anything else as she turned around and made her way outside of their cell. Naruto and Aerith followed her out to see Barret, Cloud, and Red 13 standing near the dead guard. Walking up to the group the blond frowned as he looked at the dull lifeless eyes of the man in the red uniform.

"Those are Katana wounds," Naruto commented, drawing attention to himself.

A grunt came from Barret as Naruto leaned down to get a closer look at the wounds on the dead guard.

"How do ya figure that?"

"Take a look at how the wound is shaped," Naruto said. He pointed towards the easiest one to see, the small slit-like wound that had pierced the man's throat. "You see how small this wound is, like a thin slit that goes straight through his neck? These kinds of puncture wounds can only come from a bladed weapon with a thin blade. However, something like a Nagitana, or certain types of spears and javelins, while thin, have a much wider form due to their curve. This was done with a mostly straight blade that only has a slight curve."

Naruto pressed his fingers against the man's neck, ignoring the blood that gushed out.

"I would have to say this was done by a weapon similar to my Yamato. Whoever had made this kill was also incredibly skilled. The general shape of the wound shows that whoever did this made a very precise and very fast thrust that pierced this guards flesh and was pulled out so quickly the that the sword didn't have time to move around and widen the wound."

There was a brief pause as everyone stared at Naruto. Noticing this the blond looked at them deadpanned.

"Why are you all looking at me like that? I was with Aerith the whole time."

"True, there's no way you could have escaped her grasp," Tifa joked, trying to lighten the tense situation. It worked a bit because Aerith giggled a tad, while Naruto gave her a look of mock annoyance. Cloud blushed a bit, obviously knowing what _that _little innuendo meant – even he wasn't that dense – and Barret and Red 13 just looked confused.

"Ha ha, very funny," Naruto said, sarcasm heavy in his voice. "If you're quite finished having a laugh at my expense, perhaps we can get moving?"

"Of course, Naruto," Tifa said with a small, innocent smile. It wasn't fooling the blond however, as he could see the glint in her eyes and knew she would probably bring this up again if given the chance. It was also clear that his closeness with Aerith bothered her, though he could tell it was not because of jealousy over the fact that Aerith had him and she didn't. Tifa had never expressed any interest in having a relationship with him, and while Naruto was not all that good at forming meaningful intimate relations, he was at least smart enough to know when someone was coming onto him.

Something else was going on with her. His eyes flickered over to Cloud for a moment before moving away. Naruto stood up, his eyes moving from the dead guard to a the trail of blood that led down the hall.

"Take a look at this," he said, directing their attention towards where he was gazing. "You see how the blood moves in a thin line? Whoever killed this man was trailing the tip of his blade along the ground."

"So we should we follow it?" asked Red 13.

Naruto nodded.

"Yes, but cautiously. Would you mind leading? Barret," the blond caught the big man's attention. "I want you to go find our weapons. They should be on this floor. Once you have them, meet up with us. I don't think we'll be that hard to follow."

Barret grunted in acknowledgment, for once not arguing with Naruto. Something fishy was going on here, and they didn't need to get themselves killed by infighting.

"Right."

With Red 13 leading the group, Naruto and the others made their way down the hall. The light blue steel tiled floors of the makeshift prison soon shifted into the grey metal of Hojo's laboratory. The trail of blood ended near the shifting metal floor. Red 13 moved swiftly, his hind and front legs making lightly padded noises against the hard surface. The group rounded a corner, passing one of the lab workers who was as dead as the guard and soon came upon a disturbing sight.

Before they even made it into the room the coppery scent of blood became thick, heady, and filled Naruto's and Red 13's nostrils with the poignant scent. It was almost enough to make the two retch. Even without seeing what lay beyond, Naruto knew that it would not be a pleasant sight. And he was right.

Naruto had been on many battlefields. He had seen death, watched as people died around him. Seen people as they were burned to ash by a katon jutsu, or impaled upon a thousand earth spears by a doton jutsu. The sheer variety Naruto had seen people getting killed in was astronomical. Yet even with all that, the blond Uzumaki was in no way prepared for what he would end up laying eyes on.

Upon actually reaching the room with boxes and the thick glass cylinder, Naruto and the others came upon a scene that looked like something out of a horror movie. Blood was splattered against the walls and floor, a large pool of it centering around a lab worker whose chest looked like it had been ripped open from the inside. Meat and flesh hung off his clearly visible rib cage, the bones of which were soaked red in blood. Several of his organs could be seen scattered about the room, and his intestines were tangling the mans body as if someone had tried to hogtie him with them. The man was lying next to the metal dome that held Jenova.

Held being the key word. Jenova was no longer there. The dome was empty, the door that had once been sealed shut was no longer there. The steel was twisted, as if a great force had pulled it apart and torn the metal asunder. From the way the metal that had once surrounded the door was bent outwards, it looked like someone of immense strength had torn the entire door off it's hinges. That, or the Jenova creature that had been inside had freed itself and gone on a rampage. Naruto was unsure which thought was the least pleasant.

Many of those in the group looked sick, both Aerith and Tifa had been forced to look away from the gruesome scene, lest they lose their lunches. He could hear the sounds of their retching as they dry heaved and forced whatever food they still contained back into their stomachs. Only Naruto, Cloud and Red 13 seemed for the most part unaffected, and even they were greatly disturbed by the scene in front of them.

"It looks like Jenova went up to the upper floor using that elevator for the specimens," Red 13 commented as he examined the area. His nose sniffed a few times, and were it not for his appearance being very feline in nature, Naruto would have been reminded of the Inuzuka clan's ninja dogs.

"I guess we should follow," Naruto said, looking over at Cloud who nodded in agreement. They took off behind Red 13 who led them over to the small elevator they had used when first rescuing Aerith. There was a large trail of splattered blood to follow, almost as if the person or thing responsible knew they would and was leading them into a trap.

Naruto had to shake his head, even if that were the case, they wouldn't be able to just leave. All of the keycards they had gained that let them access the elevators were taken, and without those they wouldn't make it passed the sixty-first floor. On top of that, they still needed to regain the weapons that had been taken from them.

Using the elevator they reached the next floor, as the gate slowly opened with a groaning squeal, Naruto noticed the large blood splattering on the floor in front of the doors. It looked like someone had been dropped there, then dragged across the floor.

Following the bloodstains, the group happened upon another body. This one just as mutilated as the last. Red 13 sniffed at it, then looked at the bloody trail of footprints that led into the next hallway.

"It looks like it leads up."

Cloud frowned as he looked through the open door. He was getting a bad feeling from all of this. Looking at his companions he said, "We should proceed more cautiously from now on." None of them disagreed.

Following the trail the group became disturbed as they saw more and more scenes of brutality. Large slash marks covered the walls, trails of blood leaving their marks as they made their way down the steel plating. Several more dead workers appeared, some looked like they had their heads smashed into the wall and crushed like grapes, their brain matter covering the steel corridor in a sickening parody of modern art. Others were eviscerated, their entrails hanging out of the upper half of their bodies as they lay in a pool of their own blood. The trail of death led upwards to the sixty-eighth floor.

Seeing the amount of dead bodies on this floor, Naruto quickly summoned Yamato from it's pocket dimension and re-strapped the sheath to his waist. He had planned on saving summoning the weapon for when he decided they should make their escape, but seeing as how that was now unnecessary felt it would better to be cautious and bring it out now. Cloud noticed this and made a mental note to ask the other blond how he did that, it would make hiding his buster sword so much easier.

Moving on, Naruto and the others were led up the purple carpeted staircase leading into the Presidents office, the once rich and soft carpeting was now stained red. Cautiously, they all made their way into the office. Naruto quickly ran towards the desk, Cloud and the others following right behind. Only for all of them to stop at what they saw in front of them.

President Shinra was dead, lying face down on his desk, a large blade impaled through his back. Naruto immediately noted with some satisfaction that his theory on the death of the guard was a sword similar to his own was proven, though he immediately noticed that it was not quite the same. The weapon was a nodachi, a long Samurai style sword with a six-foot blade and a two foot hilt. The Tsuka was covered in red weavings and the Tsuba was made of gold. Naruto's eyes narrowed as he took in a detail the others had likely missed.

Despite the sword having obviously been used to kill several people, the silver blade was polished to a perfect shine. Naruto also took note of the way Cloud had stiffened, as well as the look of wide eyed recognition he had.

"Yo Cloud!" The loud shout was followed by the rumbling of Barret's footsteps as he ran up the stairs and into the room, carrying the large buster sword belonging to their resident ex-SOLDIER on his back and Aerith's stave in his free hand. "I got yo damn weapon and is this seriously heavy..." The man trailed off, his footsteps slowing to a stop as his eyes caught sight of President Shinra dead in his seat.

"He's dead..." Barret stated the obvious, his mouth hanging open his surprise. No one commented on this, however, allowing the big man to continue. "The leader of Shinra, inc. is dead..."

Tifa gulped as she stared at the blade. She seemed to recognize it as well.

"Then this sword must be...!?"

"Sephiroths," Cloud said, finishing for the woman after she had trailed off.

"So that blade belongs to the Legendary SOLDIER I've heard so much about," Naruto said, his eyes narrowing. A single leap carried him onto the desk. He crouched down over the dead body of President Shinra, his eyes narrowing as he saw the blade not only pierced through the fat man himself, but also the steel desk and the concrete underneath that. Reaching out Naruto's hand grasp the blade's hilt.

"What are you doing!?" asked Cloud in shock.

Naruto looked over at Cloud, then back at the blade. With a grunt, he pulled the sword free and held it in his hand, absently noting that it was much heavier then it looked. Holding the blade straight out in front of him, the blond looked down it's length.

"If this blade is Sephiroths, then that must mean he's alive." He looked over at Cloud who seemed to be in a state of shock. "Right?"

"Y-Yes." Cloud shook his head, trying to regain his bearings. "The only one capable of using that sword is Sephiroth." Naruto grunted as he raised the blade over his head and slammed it back into the desk, the blade piercing through it as easily as a hot knife through butter.

"Who cares who did it!?" Barret asked rhetorically, he looked far too happy when one considered the brevity of the situation. "This is the end of Shinra now!" As far as he was concerned the only thing that mattered was that President Shinra was dead. Everything else was second to that in his opinion.

Just then Naruto caught someone hiding behind one of the columns trying to sneak out of the room. It was Palmer.

"Cloud!" Naruto shouted, directing the ex-SOLDIERs attention to the short, fat man who, upon being noticed squeaked and tried to run for it. Unfortunately for him, Cloud was much faster and the blond managed to grab Palmer before he could run. Catching him by the wrist, the blond haired ex-member of SOLDIER twisted the man around, popping his shoulder joint and eliciting a pained yelp from the man as he was sent face first to the ground.

"P-p-please don't kill me!" The man stuttered, fear leaking out of his voice like a sieve. Cloud's face rankled in disgust at the man's cowardice, but decided to use Palmer's fear to get some answers from him.

"What happened?"

I-It was Sephiroth!" Palmer shouted, his voice somewhere between fear and hysterics. The man's eyes were wide, pupils dilated as they darted from side to side, as if just saying the name of the Legendary SOLDIER would bring him here. A cold sweat was collecting on Palmer's pale face, and it looked like he might release his bowels at any second.

Cloud put his foot on Palmer's back and applied pressure, making the man squeal in both fear and pain.

"Did you see him? Did you see Sephiroth!?" There was an urgency in Cloud's voice that none of them had heard before. He actually sounded afraid, something most of his companion's hadn't thought possible.

"Yes, yes, I saw him! I saw him with my own two eyes!" The man shouted, he squirmed and struggled but was unable to move more then a few centimeters.

"Did you really see him?"

"Would I lie to you at a time like this!?" asked Palmer, his voice carrying a desperation that could not be faked. Naruto could sense truth to the man's words. Right now the Head of the Shinra Space Program had no reason to lie, and likely realized it would not be beneficial to do so. Unaware of Naruto's thoughts, Palmer continued. "I even heard his voice and everything! He was saying something about not letting Shinra have the Promised Land!"

Tifa frowned as she decided to asked her own question. "I don't understand. Does this mean that the Promised Land really does exist? And that Sepheroth is here to save it from Shinra?"

"So he's a good guy then?" said Barret, making it sound like he was asking a question.

"Save the Promised Land?" Cloud let out an incredulous scoff as he shook his head. "A good guy? Don't be ridiculous! It's not that simple. I know Sephiroth personally. Whatever his mission is, it's not what you think."

Naruto frowned at Cloud's words, his mind going back to when he noticed how easily the ex-SOLDIER had recognized Sephiroths blade. So he knew the man personally? Interesting. Naruto supposed it shouldn't have come as a great surprised, both of them were in SOLDIER. It would make sense that they had known each other, possibly even worked on missions together. If that was the case, he would have to ask Cloud to shed more light on Sephiroth once they escaped this building.

The sound of a helicopter chopping through the air caused everyone's attention to turn outside. Looking out of the window, they all saw a silver helicopter with the Shinra symbol emblazoned on it's side hovering just a few feet off the ground. A figure that Cloud and Barret seemed to recognize jumped off the chopper and landed on the roof.

"Shit! I forgot about that prick, Rufus!"

With Cloud's attention focused on the figure on the roof, Palmer was able to wiggle himself out from under the ex-SOLDIER's boot. The man quickly took off, running outside and towards the helicopter and hopefully, safety.

Tifa watched as Palmer ran towards the helicopter, then turned her attention to the man outside. Curious about him, she turned to Barret and asked, "Whose that?"

"Vice president Rufus," Barret grunted, glaring at the man through the glass window. "He's President Shinra's son."

Hearing that the fat ass of a President had a son, Naruto couldn't help but make his own remark.

"I'm surprised anyone would be willing to let that fat ass have a kid with them. Still, I suppose with enough money, just about anyone would be willing to do something so stupid."

Cloud snorted at his fellow blond's attempt at brevity as he picked up the Buster Sword Barret had dropped and secured it on his back. Really, he wasn't surprised by Naruto's random bouts of personality change, nor his sense of humor. Adjusting his blade for easy access, he looked over at the others.

"Come on!"

Leading the way, Cloud ran outside. The many footfalls behind him alerting the ex-SOLDIER to the fact that everyone was following his lead. Naruto quickly caught up to him, matching the blond pace-for-pace. Cloud looked at him out of the corner of his eyes to see a serious look on the man's whiskered face. Good, the man clearly understood that they needed to be serious now. He focused his attention back on Rufus as they grew near.

Rufus was a rather handsome man in his mid to late twenties, with blond hair several shades lighter then Naruto's own, blue eyes and sharp, aristocratic features, he looked nothing like this father. His blond hair was partially slicked back, with just a few bangs framing either side of his face. There was a cruel smirk on his lips as he spoke with Palmer, a look that reminded everyone this was the son of the now late President Shinra.

His outfit consisted of a white business suit, with a matching jacket over his black shirt. One hand was in his pocket, but the one that wasn't was in a brown fingerless glove and currently had a light grip on a twelve gauge shot-gun with a sawed off barrel. His brown shoes were polished to a shine, as impeccable as the rest of his crisp uniform. The way he carried himself combined with his clothing spoke of someone who was not only rich but held a deep seated arrogance, the kind one would expect to find in the son of a man who controlled the world with a global spanning conglomerate corporation.

"I see, so Sephiroth was here..." Rufus' was saying. He trailed off however, when he noticed Naruto and the others standing before him. "Ah, you all must be from that AVALANCHE group my father was having so much trouble with, yes?"

"Not quite," Naruto said. He hooked a thumb at Barret and Tifa. "These two are from AVALANCHE, the other blond that looks like my brother but is most definitely NOT related to me in any way, shape, or form is an ex-SOLDIER turned AVALANCHE member. The feline you see with us was a former research specimen from doctor Hojo, and the beautiful young lady behind me is a girl from the slums that sells flowers."

"I see..." The man said. He didn't seem particularly interested, though there was a glint of cold amusement in his eyes. Rufus stared at the blond who had spoken, absently noting the man's appearance and way he held himself. This one was a dangerous foe. Despite this, he still spoke as if discussing the whether. "I can't help but notice you didn't introduce yourself."

Naruto smiled. "I was just saving the best for last."

Suddenly, the blond got into an utterly ridiculous pose, one hand in front of him and one hand behind him as he crouched down like he was surfing.

"I am the man that makes the men of the nations of the elements quiver in fear and their women in lust. I am the greatest shinobi who ever lived, a man whose prowess on the battlefield is as legendary as it is in the bedroom. I am your personal hero, Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto finished, hopping on one leg and gesturing grandly like his old master. For some reason there were kabuki instruments going in the background, making everyone wonder just where the hell the noise was coming from.

The results were as varied as they were amusing, Rufus stood there, blinking as if he had just lain witness to the dumbest thing he had ever seen in his life, which he had; Cloud's right eye had gained a dangerous twitch; Barret was staring at him, blinking owlishly; Tifa was wide eyed, her jaw agape as she no doubt tried to figure out what had just happened; and Aerith...

Well, she was rubbing her face with the palm of her hand in consternation.

Really, how could her boyfriend be so amazing one moment and so stupid the next was beyond her.

Naruto stood up straight and sighed in contentment, "I see why that old pervert did that now. That was awesome…"

Rufus was the first to recover. The glint returned to his eyes as he gave a mildly amused chuckle that was seeped in condescension. "What a motley crew."

He turned to look away from the group, either uncaring or supremely confident in his abilities as he turned his back on them. It could have also been the rather large machine gun inside of the helicopter that had been pointed at Naruto and the others since they'd been spotted. The blond shinobi could see several more people behind the large weapon aiming some kind of rifles at them. Obviously the man knew that they couldn't attack, lest they lose one of their members during the attempt.

A hand came up and pushed a few strands of hair from his bangs behind his ears as he stared at the city skyline. "I suppose I should give my own introduction then," he mused, more to himself then anyone else. Turning back, he smirked at the group. "Very well then, I am Rufus. The President of Shinra, inc."

"You only President 'cauze yer old man died!" Barret interrupted with a growl.

"True, true," Rufus agreed with a nod. He didn't seem all that bothered with how he had gained his position. In fact, if anything he seemed rather pleased. "However, such details are inconsequential. The fact of the matter is, I am now the President of Shinra, inc. and things are going to be different with me in charge." The immaculately dressed man rubbed his chin as he began pacing, speaking to himself as much as he was his audience. "You see... my old tried to control the world with his money. This wasn't a bad idea, everything seemed to be running perfectly while he was in charge. The population thought that Shinra would protect them. Work for Shinra, get your pay, if a terrorist attacks, the Shinra army will protect you. It looks perfect on the outside."

"But I do things differently."

Rufus turned to look at the group, a cold smirk on his face.

"I'll control the world through fear. It takes too much work to do things like my old man did. A little fear will control the minds of the common people. There is no need to waste money on them."

When it became clear that the new President was done, Tifa couldn't help but give a derisive snort. "It seems the new President likes to make speeches just as much as his father."

Rufus turned to look at Tifa with a raised eyebrow. Keeping his gaze on the man, Cloud spoke to Naruto hurriedly. "Listen, Naruto, take everyone else and get out of here."

Naruto looked at Cloud with a raised eyebrow, but it was Barret who ended up speaking.

"Say what!?"

"I want all of you to get out of here. I'll explain everything later! Barret! This is the real crises for the Planet!"

Naruto could tell Barret was not satisfied with Cloud's answer. However, before the man could say anything, the blond spoke up. "Alright, we'll leave this to you. Just make sure you don't get yourself killed trying to play the hero."

Cloud gave an amused snort as he pulled the Buster Sword free of it's sheath, the blade flashing under the headlights from the chopper as he swung the massive weapon in an arc, letting the tip of the blade come to rest on the ground. There was a click from the people within the helicopter pointing weapons at the group, but a hand gesture from an amused Rufus stayed there hand.

"Everyone knows the one with the hero complex is you," Cloud retorted, a small smirk on his face. The look left a moment later, his lips moving into a frown as his eyes narrowed at the man in front of him. "Make sure you get everyone out of this building, I'll catch up once I'm finished here."

"Right."

Naruto directed everyone else to leave. Running off back towards the entrance, the newly minted President of Shinra let them go, focusing most of his attention on the ex-SOLDIER in front of him.

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><p><strong>Alright, another chapter out and over with. I hope you all enjoyed it, because unfortunately I am going to be taking a little hiatus from my writing. The reason for this is because I need to new job ASAP, my current one just isn't paying the bills, thus I am going to be focusing the entirety of my attention on getting a better paying job. I don't know how long I will be away, it could be a week, it could be a few months. In this economy it's hard to say.<strong>

**I know. It sucks, but as much as you and I wish it were otherwise, earning enough money to live is more important than writing. Hopefully this will be enough to tide you over.**

**Pokemaster12 out.**


	19. A4 C19: They Just Keep Coming

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 1: The City That Never Sleeps**

**Arc 4: Shinra Infiltration**

**Chapter 19: They Just Keep Coming**

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><p>They ran down the once grand staircase after leaving Cloud to deal with the new President of Shinra Incorporated. None of them were particularly pleased to be running off while their childhood friendcomrade/companion was left to battle against someone who was more than likely to play dirty, but they didn't have much choice. Sure, they could have stayed and fought alongside him, but battling it out on that tiny section of roof while there was a helicopter waiting to pump them full of led was not the best of ideas. They would have been sitting ducks.

No, leaving one of them to fend of Shinra while the others took off really was the best option. That still didn't mean any of them liked it.

Naruto was in the lead, his left hand firmly grasping Aerith's right as she ran slightly behind him. The girl from the slums really had come along way. Had they done this kind of running even a few months before Naruto had come to this world, the last remaining ancient would have exhausted herself in less than five minutes. Now the girl was easily keeping pace with everyone else, and only looked lightly winded.

The others ran behind the two leading the retreat. Barret's heavy breathing made a sharp contrast to the light pants coming from Red 13 as they ran along either side of Tifa as she took up the rear. Booted feet hit the marble tiling of the sixty-eighth floor, the sound changing from a dull '_thump'_ to loud '_clacks'_ as they ran towards the doors that would lead them to the elevators. The sound left an uncomfortable dissonance in Naruto's enhanced hearing, the quick change in tune as they ran almost making him cringe. Sometimes he hated having such sensitive ears.

Tifa stopped before they reached the first door however, her head turned back to look up the stairs they just ran down. The others continued to run for several seconds, before realizing that their busty companion was no longer right behind them.

"Tifa?" said Naruto, stopping at the doorway when he noticed the busty woman wasn't following them. He wasn't sure what she was thinking, but now was most certainly not the time to stop. With the way things were going, it would be best if they moved as quickly as possible and left this building before anything else happened that could put them in jeopardy.

"You go on ahead," she said in a distracted tone, her mind clearly elsewhere. Tifa turned her head towards them, focusing her attention on Naruto as she tried to convey her feelings through her eyes. "I'm going to stay here and wait for Cloud."

Naruto took only a moment to decide on his course of action. It didn't seem right to leave her, not when they were in such danger. Aside from that was Naruto's general dislike of leaving people behind. The words of his first sensei Kakashi 'those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash' rang through his mind. He had never abandoned a comrade before, and didn't want to start now.

At the same time Tifa was a full grown woman who could make her own decisions, and seemed to have a stubborn streak to her. She wasn't going to take no for an answer and they didn't have the time to waste by forcing her to come with them. Also, it may be a good idea to have someone waiting for Cloud in case he was injured or needed help. After all, wouldn't they be abandoning Cloud if they left no one here to wait for him?

"Very well," Naruto nodded his head towards the woman. He wasn't abandoning them, he was simply placing his trust in their ability to take care of themselves and meet up with him and the others later. "Stay safe."

Tifa smiled at him.

"I will."

Leading the way once more, Naruto and company ran to the elevators. As the doors opened the group moved in, Naruto ran over to the control console and pressed the button that would take them to the sixty-first floor. There was a slight _hiss _as the elevators hydrolics came online. The elevator soon began to descend. Barret moved over to the window, watching as the metal beams surrounding the glass panels at several meter intervals flashed by in a blur. His attention was taken off of that however, when he saw the other elevator ascending from below.

"Shit! We've got company!"

Naruto spun around, running towards Barret to look down at the incoming elevator and easily spotted what the larger man had. It was a large quadrupedal tank that took up most of the elevator floor. Four wheels protruding from the ending stalks at the bottom to act as legs. The machine was slightly rhomboidal in shape, with turning gears near the bottom of what would be it's torso so it could rotate a full three-hundred and sixty degrees. Two large machine guns were sticking out from either side of it's body. There was a scanner in the center of it's chest, glowing bright orange from where it was embedded under the machines large head, which was in the shape of a large cog with three long canons sticking out from it's front. Black fumes billowed out from the large exhaust pipes sticking out from where it's shoulders would be if it had any, giving the machine and even more menacing look.

"He's right! Aerith, everybody, get down!"

Aerith and the others didn't have time to even question the order as they were forced to drop to the floor due to the large tanks elevator reaching them. It fired off an intense machine gun burst of bullets that shattered the glass of the elevator they were in. The only one who didn't get down was Naruto who, upon seeing the massive machine had drawn his blade. As the bullets came in, Yamato was a blur in his hands. He used his skills and chakra enhanced body to intercept the bullets, his blade literally spinning around him so quickly that it left blurring afterimages in it's wake. Rather then fade away however, each afterimage stayed as Naruto repeated the gesture quickly enough that the image didn't have time to fade. It was only a few seconds after the blond had begun his startling defensive maneuver that the afterimages overlapped each other to form what looked like a protective barrier in front of the group.

There was a loud clicking noise that let Naruto know the machine was out of ammo, at least for the moment as he had no doubt there was more located within that metal body that it would just need to load up. Knowing this, Naruto began barking orders to everyone.

"Barret! Shoot that thing with everything you've got! Aerith! I want you to use your lightning materia against it. You as well if you have one, Red 13!"

"And what about you!?" asked Barret, shouting over the loud rumbling from the large death machines engines.

"I'm taking the fight to it!"

Before anyone could ask what he meant, Naruto leapt off the elevator, eliciting shocked screams from the others. However, rather then fall to his death, the blond soared through the air and hit the outer wall of Shinra Headquarters. He stuck to the wall using his chakra and began running towards the tank. This of course, elicited more shock from Barret and Red XIII, who had yet to see him do something like this, but by that point Naruto was too far away to notice.

The large machine seemed to have noticed him, for it's body turned and the machine guns on it's arm began spinning. The blond was forced to move in a weaving pattern, zigzagging back and forth across the wall as he dodged a hailstorm of machine gun fire. Those few bullets he couldn't dodge were blocked by his blade as it flashed out and wove an increasing complex pattern that created a literal wall in front in front of him. It was an extremely complex maneuver, and one he had not actually tried before due to not knowing if it would even work.

It was a good thing for him that it did work, however, otherwise he would have turned been into Swiss cheese by now.

The flashing pattern his sword wove around him also masked his left hand as it switched out his materia.

As Naruto ran into what seemed like a suicidal assault to everyone else, Aerith quickly fumbled for her materia, pulling out the crackling yellow orb as Barret stood up and aimed his gun-arm at the tank. Unleashing a loud shout, the big man began firing upon the massive hunk of machinery. Sparks began appearing all along the tanks metal hull as bullets began ricocheting off it. The machine turned it's body towards them upon sensing the threat to it. The machine guns began spinning, however a clicking noise told everyone it had to reload again.

While Aerith began charging up her lightning materia, Naruto used the distraction Barret had provided to run the rest of the way towards the machines elevator. Naruto landed on it and quickly sprinted towards the machine, leaping up before it could react. His sword flashed out in a brilliant sheen of white and green light. A powerful wind blade was launched from his sword, slicing into and straight through the three large barrels on it's head. The now useless steel pipes dropped, falling into the darkness below.

Naruto had just enough time to swear as the machine swiveled it's torso back to him. A slot opened up in the center of it's chest and fired a rocket at the blond near point-blank. It was only his shinobi reflexes that saved him from taking the explosive directly in the chest and becoming nothing more then burnt out corpse. He managed to dodge to the left, his body twisting and bending in an unnatural way as the rocket passed by close enough that he could feel the heat from it's small exhaust port. Instead of hitting him, the rocket smashed into the building, exploding with great force.

Aside from the loud _boom_ the explosion had also unleashed a shock wave that jostled the elevator and knocked Naruto off balance. The blond slid along the floor, quickly coming upon the edge of the floor. Another tremor from the hydrolics system trying to compensate for the damage it had taken during the explosion caused Naruto to get knocked off the elevator. Before he could fall however, his hand reached out and grabbed onto the lip of the elevator.

Using the strength of his arms, Naruto swung his lower body closer to the bottom of the elevator. He flipped, his feet coming into contact with solid ground. Sticking to it with chakra, Naruto soon found himself crouching under directly under the tank, only on the opposite side of the floor. Not sure if he should attack right away, the blond decided to wait and see if an opportunity would present itself.

That moment arrived when Aerith, after getting over her near heart attack at seeing Naruto almost fall to his death, had finished charging up her lightning materia and was ready to unleash it. Her stave was pulsing brightly, wreathed in blue sparks of lightning that ran along the metal surface like an electric current. She fell into a wide stance, lowering her center of gravity as she aimed the tip of her stave at the machine that had returned it's attention to them now that the threat of Naruto was seemingly gone. Concentrating, she pushed the lightning towards the tip, forcing the crackling blue energy to move towards the end where it built up until a large ball of lightning formed before her.

With her attack ready, Aerith unleashed a powerful blast of lightning that crackled out in a blindingly bright bolt of energy. It struck the monstrous tank straight in the figurative chest, blowing a large hole through it's torso to reveal sparking circuitry and wiring inside. The machine began to sputter and spark. Smoke rose from it's insides and spasms rocked it's body.

Recognizing that the tank was almost done by the sputtering sounds coming from it, Naruto ran towards the edge, latched onto it with his left hand and in an incredible display of acrobatics, flipped onto the floor. In a move to fast for the normal human eye to follow, Naruto took a quick step towards the massive machine that dwarfed his size by at least a meter in height and width. His sword was out in a flash, the sword being drawn from it's sheath at super-human speeds and just as quickly returned.

For all of several seconds, nothing happened. Naruto quickly jumped away, landing on the wall so he could run back over to his companions. As soon as his feet touched the vertical surface, the massive tank split into two separate pieces. Naruto's attack had sliced straight through the machine, a cut that ran diagonally at a twenty five degree angle. The upper half of the machine slid off the bottom, crashing against the floor of the elevator with a loud _bang. _Unable to withstand the weight and power behind the falling piece of machinery, the elevator floor groaned and bent, allowing the tanks upper half to slide off into the depths below, where mere seconds later it blew up.

Naruto quickly ran back to the elevator his friends were in, landing on it and checking to make sure no one was injured. Barret didn't seem too hurt, only a few small cuts on his face where the glass had hit him. Red 13 had hunkered down behind the man since he had not been able to help in the fight and was uninjured. His eyes then turned to Aerith who, although panting did not look too tired. Still, he couldn't help but ask, "how are you feeling?"

"Better," Aerith said with a smile. "I'm still a little tired, but I think I'm getting used to using materia."

Naruto gave a small smile. "That's good, pretty soon you should be capable of using materia much more easily then most people." He looked over at the bottom half of the tank and sighed. "Something tells me you're going to need it soon." With things progressing the way they had been so far, Naruto wouldn't be surprised if they ended up facing more of Shinra's mechanical weapons before they managed to escape this building.

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Cloud stared at the supremely confident man in front of him. His eyes flickered briefly to the helicopter that hovered in the distance, enhanced mako eyes picking up the three soldiers inside as they pointed weapons at him, and that was saying nothing about the large mounted machine gun that was trained at him. Given the circumstances, the newly minted President of Shinra had a right to be confident, even if the arrogant attitude grated on Cloud's nerves.<p>

The blond in the white suit looked at Cloud, amusement readily apparent on his face. His trigger finger absently tapped against the steel barrel of his shotgun as he held in a lose grip. As the tension of their stand off grew, Rufus finally asked. "Why exactly do you want to fight me?"

For a moment, Cloud remained silent, pondering his answer and whether or not he should even give it to the man. Cocking his head to the side for a moment in contemplation, he decided there was no real harm in answering, so said, "you seek the Promised Land and Sepheroth."

"True," Rufus nodded his head before shrugging. He began to walk, his pace slow, his steps measured. Cloud's eyes narrowed, his hand moving to his sword as he matched the man step for step, an act which seemed to amuse Rufus. "Mm? Did you know that Sepheroth is an Ancient?"

"... A lot has happened. No matter what, I can't let either you or Sepheroth have the Promised Land."

"I see." Rufus shook his head, looking almost disappointed as he said, "I guess that means we won't become friends."

Cloud reacted with the speed only one whose body was enhanced by Mako – or chakra – could. He shot forward in a blur, his form almost wavering as it sped towards Rufus. However, the man just smirked as a large creature wreathed in shadows descended upon the ex-SOLDIER. It came out of no where, barreling towards the spiky headed blond with incredible speed. Cloud managed to dodge, rolling under the beast as it attempted to pounce on him. Kipping up to his feet, he swung his sword around in a three-hundred and sixty degree circle, forcing the monster to back off.

Using the split second pause, Cloud studied the thing that had attacked him. It was a quadrupedal animal of some kind, much like Red 13 only more canine in appearance. It's fur was as black as the night itself. Completing the image of a beast created by the very shadows themselves was a set of sharp fangs, glowing yellow eyes and a large tail sticking out from, not it's backside, but between the front shoulder blades of it's legs.

There was no more time to study it however, as a loud _bang_ of gun fire rang throughout the roof and Cloud was forced to move forward, lest he get shot.

Rolling under the creature as it shot towards him again, Cloud attempted to bring his sword up during his roll and slice the monster down the middle. Another gun-shot rang out and he was surprised when the weight of several bullets managed to smack his sword, knocking him off balance and preventing him from killing the animal.

He went with the new move, however, allowing gravity to take him as he rolled to the side and dodged another blast from the shot gun. Managing to roll to his feet, Cloud had just enough time to look up and see the dark creature pouncing at him again. It was instinct alone that saved him, his body reacting before his mind could contemplate what was happening. He moved with a swiftness few possess, pushing himself off the ground with his hands and backpedaling to avoid the shadow beasts sharp claws and teeth.

A game of cat and mouse soon began, only this time there were two cats. Rufus and this monster of his seemed to be capable of decent teamwork. The President would shoot at Cloud to distract him during an attack, or take shots at him when he was vulnerable. So far it was only his quick reflexes that had kept him from receiving anything more then grazing wounds. To top it off, the animal that was attacking him head on and fought with a viciousness that was startling. It seemed to have no regard to it's own personal safety as it continued launching itself at him time and time again.

"The Dark Nation truly is an interesting specimen," Rufus commented idly as he flicked his wrist. The barrels of his shotgun opened up and with a simple tilt, the empty shells he had fired fell out. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out more bullets and reloaded his gun with impressive quickness, cocking it with another flick of his wrist. All the while he continued speaking as if talking about what he would be having for dinner that night. "They make excellent guard dogs when bred in captivity. Though I should say they're not really dogs, but more of a wolf/monster hybrid. Don't you think it's magnificent?"

"That's one way to put it," Cloud grunted as the creature attacked him again. He was too slow to fully dodge it this time, and when he jumped back it managed to tear through his clothes and slice open his chest. Fortunately the wound was small, and would not hamper his ability to fight, but damn if it didn't sting.

Rufus gave a cold chuckle as Cloud pressed a hand to his wound. "If nothing else it seems to be perfectly capable of taking on a First-class SOLDIER."

A frown formed on Cloud's face at the insult, but he didn't comment. From the very moment this creature had made it's appearance he had been analyzing it. The Dark Nation, as Rufus called it, was fast, easily a match for most members of SOLDIER. However, it also needed to slow down and use wide turns when it's opponent gets behind it, and there was a several second interval between then and it's charge where it had to rebuild it's speed. Cloud had determined that would be the best time for him to attack.

Dodging the creature as it came at him again, Cloud spun on the balls of his feet, watching and waiting as the creature was forced to slow down and make a wide turn. Lowering his center of gravity, the ex-SOLDIER charged at the monster, his blade casting sparks as it trailed along the ground behind him in his right hand. A gunshot rang out, but Cloud had anticipated it and was already rolling along the ground. When he came back onto his feet, he used his crouched position to give himself a short burst of speed. He came at the creature just as it finished turning and was in the beginning of it's charge. His blade came out, parallel to the ground as he crouched low, dodging under a bullet and spun around in a circle.

There was no yelp. The creature had been dead the moment Cloud's massive blade sliced through it's head. Black blood sprayed out of the body as it was split in half, the legs crumbling to the ground and tumbling along the roof while the upper half flew through the air due to it's momentum and landed with a meaty thud a meter away. Rufus watched as his pet died and sighed.

"A pity."

Cloud went back to charging Rufus again, attempting to close the distance quickly. But he was soon forced to veer off course as machine gun fire from the helicopter began providing cover fire for the President.

Rufus looked at Cloud and smirked as the helicopter flew down to him and hovered a few meters in the air. A rope ladder was produced, falling down to the business suit wearing blond, which was soon grabbed. Climbing onto the ladder, Rufus Shinra gave Cloud a cold smirk as he flew away.

Cloud frowned for several seconds, disappointed that the confrontation had ended with Rufus escaping. He stood up, placing his blade on his back and quickly turned around to run back inside. He made his way down the stairs and into the waiting room where he found, much to his surprise, Tifa waiting for him. He stopped, his mouth opening to ask her what she was still doing here, when Tifa beat him to the punch.

"What happened to Rufus?" she asked.

"He got away before I could finish him," Cloud admitted with a frustrated sigh. "It looks like things are going to get more complicated from here on out." He looked over at her with a mild glare of annoyance. "Why are you still here?"

"Don't give me that tone," Tifa said, slightly annoyed that Cloud was reprimanding her for being worried about his well being. "I was waiting for you. Someone has to make sure you don't get left behind."

Cloud sighed, but nodded. He knew he shouldn't be so surprised, Tifa had always acted like something of a mother to all the members of AVALANCHE and he had been no different once joining. The fact that they were childhood friends just made her concern for him that much stronger. Truth be told, he was actually touched that she cared about his well being enough to stay behind. At the same time, he couldn't help but worry about what could happen to her without anyone else around. He shuddered at the thought of what might have happened to her if Sepheroth had still been in the building and returned to retrieve his sword.

Sighing, he put his thoughts and fears out of his mind to focus on what they should do.

"We need to hurry up and catch up with the others," he said, getting a nod from Tifa. Together, the two of them began running towards the elevator.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>After the battle with the massive tank machine, the ride down the elevator had gone much smoother. Naruto had used his medical ninjutsu materia to heal the glass cuts on Barrets face and arms, while Red 13 and Aerith had kept a look out for more enemies. Thankfully, none had appeared for the rest of the ride down.<p>

Stepping out of the elevator, Naruto, Barret, Aerith and Red 13 ran towards the exit. However, before they had even reached it, Naruto's warning instincts flared to life. With speed that was far greater then most humans, he switched out materia, exchanging his green medical materia for one that was earthen brown. He planted his hands on the ground just as Barret stepped outside.

Barret, in an effort to reach the front door and leave the building as quickly as humanly possible, had sped on ahead of the group. He was the first one to reach the door and the first one outside. He was also the one who found himself on the receiving end of nearly one-hundred machine-guns being aimed directly at him. The entire front entrance was being blocked off by Gaia only knew how many Shinra infantry. There was also several tanks similar to the one he and the others had destroyed. In a situation like this, Barret could only think of one thing to say.

"Oh shit!"

The loud _bang_ of a hundred weapons going off caused him to flinch. However, before thoughts of retreating or thoughts on how screwed he was could even enter his mind, the ground in front of him began to crack and rumble. A large wall made up of concrete and sediment nearly a meter thick rose into the air in front of Barret, covering him from the incoming fire.

He stared in shock at the wall, his mind trying to comprehend what the hell had caused it to rise up and protect him like that. It was almost as if some divine being had decided to intervene and rescue him from getting pumped full of lead. Unfortunately, he couldn't think of anything and this led to his mind running around in circles and giving him an immense headache. He grabbed his head, his mind beginning to protest his circular way of thinking. It was only thanks to a voice calling out behind him that the big man was able to snap out of his thoughts.

"Barret! Quit standing there like an idiot and get in here now!"

Turning, Barret saw Naruto, Red 13 and Aerith holding the door open for him. Shaking his head for a moment, he dispelled his previous thoughts, grunted, then began making his way inside. As soon as he had entered, the wall that had protected him was destroyed with a large explosion.

"They'll be in here any minute," Naruto commented as his right hand lightly rested on the hilt of his blade. It was a useless gesture, there was no way he could find that many men and machines without using some of his higher tier jutsu, and those were indiscriminate, just as likely to kill his comrades as they were his enemy. In short, there was no way to get out and survive.

The situation was looking bleak.

"Heh, we're surrounded, outnumbered and outgunned," Barret gave a gruff laugh, one that said he wasn't all that bothered by the fact he just stated. If anything, the laugh held more irony than anything else. "What a way to go, huh? If I was alone this wouldn't be a thang, but I gotta reputation to protect."

Naruto chuckled a bit, it was slightly amusing that even though he was surrounded and likely to die, Barret could continue to act like nothing was wrong. He looked out through the door to see that none of the Shinra troops had moved yet, most likely because they didn't want to harm the Ancient, yet were afraid of sending in the normal rank and file. It would be all to easy for them to be picked off if they came in through the doors, and Shinra likely knew this. He sighed, in the words of Shikamaru, things were beginning to look troublesome.

Beside him, Aerith was thinking along similar lines, although her thoughts halted on how Shinra was most likely here for her. Shaking her head, she set a determined expression on her face as she looked at everyone who had come so far to protect her. "You all should get out while you can. It's not you there after... it's me."

"Feh, fuck that," Naruto said, startling Aerith not only because she had rarely ever heard him swear, but also because of the slight anger in his voice. The glare he was giving her didn't help any.

"Naruto..." she started. "I know you want to protect me but... but this is too much, even for you." She gave him a look that all but begged him to just do as she asked. "Please, I don't want to see you get killed, especially for trying to protect me."

"I didn't come all this way just to give you up now!" Naruto snapped, his glowing blue eyes magnifying his glare tenfold. Aerith actually shrank on herself as she stared into the angry eyes of her love interest. The blond held his glare only a moment longer however, before his eyes softened. "Please don't ask me to leave. I would never be able to live with myself if I just ran off without even trying to protect you."

"N-Naruto..."

"I would rather cut out my own heart then leave you to Shinra," he continued, cutting her off, his glare once more hardening. "I failed to protect the woman I loved once, I'm not failing a second time."

Aerith's eyes watered at his words. While she was distraught that Naruto refused to leave and was apparently more then willing to die for her, she was also happy he was willing to go to such lengths to protect her. This, she realized, was one of the reasons he meant so much to her. His unbending will and desire to protect the people he cared about was something she truly loved and cherished about him.

Naruto offered her the carefree smile he normally wore as he placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. I don't know how yet, but we'll find a way out of here." If worst came to worst he could unleash one of his more powerful ninjutsu attacks. So long as he stayed away from the more destructive jutsu like the Rasenshuriken and a few others, they should be fine. It would leave him utterly drained and probably knock him unconscious, but it should also take out a large majority of the rank and file. So long as Barret was willing to drag his useless ass out of the fire when the time came, he was sure they would all make it.

A watery smile made it's way to Aerith's face. Seeing Naruto act with such confidence, she couldn't help but feel her own confidence rise. Even though she felt like things were hopeless, somehow, she was sure that Naruto would find a way to get them out of this. She placed one of her hands over Naruto's, squeezing it gently and said, "thank you."

"Heh, don't mention it."

"Is this what you humans call a romantic moment?" asked Red 13, interrupting the moment. He cocked his head to the side quizzically as he looked at them. "I can't be too sure, because I have always thought these situations happened when people weren't in danger of getting killed."

A mock glare made it's way to Naruto's face as he said, "way to ruin the moment, Red." Barret gave a bark of amused laughter, while Red 13 just looked more confused then ever. Though it was slightly difficult to tell with his feline muzzle.

"Barret! Naruto!"

Turning around at the sound of the shout, the group all saw Tifa running down the stairs towards them.

"Tifa!" Barret shouted back, surprised and pleased to see the busty woman. Though he did notice that a certain spiky-headed blond was missing, and it wasn't Naruto. Picking up on this immediately he asked, "where's Cloud?"

Tifa, however, seemed to ignore him as she began running, shouting, "Everyone! Over here!"

"Huh? What? Why?" Barret fired off a barrage of single word questions, his confusion beginning to reach it's peak. Cloud should have been with Tifa, the whole reason she had stayed behind was to wait for him. Not seeing the ex-SOLDIER with her left Barret understandably confused. "Where's Cloud?"

Tifa rolled her eyes, obviously feeling impatient. "I'll tell you later, just hurry!"

"Come on, Barret. I'm sure Cloud is fine," Naruto said as he grabbed Aerith's hand and began running after Tifa. A few moments later, Barret took off after her as well, grumbling under his breath. Red 13's loping strides easily allowed him to keep pace with the blond shinobi as he ran. They all followed Tifa behind a large glass panel to see her running towards an aging blue truck. Unlike newer models which had sharp edges, the chassis for the vehicle was rounded, giving the truck a much more organic look.

As he eyed the vehicle, Naruto could easily tell what the busty brunette's plan was and made his way towards it as well. As Tifa opened the front door and sat inside, ripping off the cover to the front panel and beginning to work on hot wiring the car, Naruto heard the rumbling sound of an engine. He looked towards the source just as Aerith stepped onto the large trunk.

The source of course, was none other then Cloud Strife. He was riding on a motorcycle, a classic from what Naruto could see. Chrome plating that was as black as the night was polished to a reflective shine. A leather seat was situated within comfortable range of the handles. The engine purred as Cloud let loose with the throttle, the mufflers enhancing the sound. Naruto was suddenly finding himself insanely jealous of the ex-SOLDIER.

"This is so not cool!" He pouted, it was only thanks to his strong will and desire not to look like a petulant child that he didn't stomp his foot on the ground. Not that it actually stopped him from looking like a petulant child to everyone else. "If I had known whoever got to stay behind would be getting to ride that, I would have offered to fight Rufus."

Cloud smirked at the blond while Aerith rolled her eyes. She leaned over from where she was sitting and grabbed Naruto by the back of his shirt. With a good yank, she pulled him back and forced him to get into the trunk with her. He protested a bit, but stopped when Aerith grabbed his face and turned his head so he could see her pout.

"Are you saying you don't want to be in here with me?" she asked, her lip quivering ever so slightly. Her eyes seemed to grow, expanding as the tear ducts at the corner of her eyes began to water. As she unleashed the infamous puppy dog eyes, Naruto found himself caving in.

"Urk... that's not it, I just..." he looked over at Cloud on the motorcycle as the trucks engines started up. Sighing, he leaned against the back and mumbled, "of course not. Who needs to drive some stupid motorcycle anyways?"

"You'll get over it," Aerith replied, amused by the blonds acts. She knew what he was really doing, trying to take her mind off of what was happening by joking around during dire circumstances. It was something she had picked up on the few times the Turks had actually managed to evade his clones traps and catch up to them. Despite how some people might not take him seriously because of it, she was thankful that he could keep joking at times when the situation they were in had taken a turn for the worst.

Naruto looked over at her and opened his mouth to reply, but the truck suddenly sinking down made him look over at Barret as he stepped into the vehicle. The truck soon began to move, Red 13 hopping on it just as they took off. With Tifa driving, they followed Cloud, smashing through the glass panel and driving up a set of stairs. They paused for a moment, Cloud looking back at Tifa and motioning with his head towards the window. The busty woman gave a nod of understanding, and the ex-SOLDIER revved the engines once more. Placing a foot down on the ground, he tilted the motorcycle low and spun it around, aiming it directly at the window. Twisting the throttle as hard as it could go, he shot forward, smashing through the window and soaring through the sky.

They landed on an abandoned highway, the heavy landing jostling the members in the back of the truck. Naruto grunted and strained as he pushed Barret off of him after getting nearly flatted by the much larger man. Not able to help himself, the blond couldn't help but get a shot about in about Barret's weight. "Hey man, seriously, do you think you could lay off the donuts? You're starting to weigh a ton."

"What'chu say you spiky-headed asshole!?"

"Nothing, nothing," Naruto chuckled before his ears picked up the sound of more motors. His expression became serious again as he turned to see several motorcycles coming in at high speeds. "Barret, get that gun-arm of yours ready. It looks like we've got more company."

Barret's angered expression suddenly morphed into a grin. He reached into his front jacket pocket and pulled out a large pack of ammo, slamming it into his gun-arm before taking aim. "Right! Eat this you little shits!"

As Barret began to unleash load after load of bullets upon the Shinra soldiers on motorcycles, Cloud began doing his own part by driving towards the enemy motorcycles. Showing that he was fairly talented in driving two-wheeled vehicles, the ex-SOLDIER made a swift one-hundred and eighty degree turn. He pulled up along side one of the soldiers that managed to get in close, his left hand pulled out his sword and in a feet of strength, lifted the large weapon and sliced the bike in half.

His bike blasted through the large explosion that followed as the fuel line leaked from the enemy bike. Once again he executed a perfect about face with his own motorcycle and began catching up to the truck with his comrades.

"What a show off," Naruto muttered as he idly twirled a kunai in his hand. He spotted a few more Shinra soldiers on motorcycles riding towards them. Not even bothering to take aim, Naruto flicked his wrist exactly three times. The first time launched the kunai he had already been holding, the other two both summoned a kunai and simultaneously launched them. The three projectile weapons flew through the air as nothing more then small glimmers of reflected light, sailing right towards the three Shinra soldiers on the bikes. Each kunai had been thrown with pinpoint accuracy, piercing through visors of the three soldiers. With the soldiers riding them now dead, the bikes spun out of control, crashing into each other in a fiery explosion.

"Who's showing off now?" teased Aerith.

"Not me," Naruto replied with the sort of nonchalance that one would expect when discussing what movie they should watch when they get home. "I can do this stuff in my sleep, it's not showing off if what you're doing is as easy as breathing."

The wind that whipped along the sides of the truck causing her hair to fly out behind her, Aerith covered her mouth a bit to hide her giggle. "Uh huh," she hummed, causing Naruto to roll his eyes playfully at Aerith's tone. Summoning more kunai to his hand, Naruto waited until he had more targets to throw them at.

Conversation soon ceased as the situation began to grow more grave. The long stretch of road seemed to extend for miles as more and more enemy soldiers kept coming after them, and not all of them were riding motorcycles. Naruto, Cloud and Barret soon found themselves having to content with hummers with mounted machine-guns on top. Their only saving grace was that they couldn't fire on the truck without harming Aerith, and it soon became clear that the newly minted President Rufus wanted her captured alive just as badly as his father had.

This left Naruto and the others safe from being fired upon, but not Cloud who was forced to swerve and weave out of the way of a hailstorm of machine gun fire. The motorcycle riding blond did his best to try and close the distance with the much larger four-wheel vehicle, but every time he tried getting close, a concentrated burst of fire would force him to dodge again. As the sparks flew off the ground near his bike, near misses that ricocheted along the blackened pavement that let Cloud know just how close they were to hitting him. He grit his teeth, knowing that if this kept up it would only be a matter of time before they got him.

Seeing the ex-SOLDIER in need of assistance, Naruto stood up. He kept his feet sticking to the surface of the truck with his chakra and made his way towards the end where he could better see the hummer as it attacked Cloud. He reached into his arm, pulling out his current materia and quickly pocketed it in his pouch. Then he pulled out another materia, placing it in his arm. Holding out his hand he took a deep breath, his glowing eyes focused solely on the enemy before him as the wind whipped his hair into a frenzy. With his arm raised forward and outstretched, palm facing flat towards the enemy, Naruto called out the name of his jutsu.

"Raiton: Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō." Naruto had timed the blast perfectly, waiting until Cloud had cleared his jutsu's path before announcing his attack. Bursting forth from his hand as if summoned merely by the power of his voice, a gigantic beam of pale blue electrical energy that crackled with repressed power shot out. It plowed forward, tearing up much of the road behind them, ripping the pavement asunder with unprecedented force. It was on the hummer in an instant, leaving only enough time for the driver and soldier manning the machine gun to scream before it consumed them.

The large beam of lightning moved passed the hummer, the explosion the electrical surge of power created when it struck and destroyed the vehicle was lost in the sheer brilliant light of the attack. Barret and the others were forced to cover their eyes, lest they go blind due to how bright the jutsu was. Cloud was just lucky he was already facing away when the attack came out, or he might have ended up crashing and becoming a bloody smear on the ground.

When the light died down, Barret cracked his eyes open, then promptly widened them as he was just in time to see the large trench Naruto's attack had created disappearing in the distance. He gaped at the blond who swayed ever so slightly before managing to catch himself and walk back over to Aerith, where he sat down with a heavy sigh. It took nearly five minutes for the big man to find his voice.

"The fuck was that!?"

Naruto gave the man a weak smile as he answered. "One of my more powerful attacks. It's called Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō, or Flying Dragon-Striking Heaven-Shaking Thunder Cannon. Essentially, it's an attack that channels a massive amount of power into my arms and then unleashes it in a large beam of lightning that destroys everything within it's path."

"No shit!" Barret said sarcastically, though a part of that was to hide his awe at the sight of such a powerful attack.

"Yeah, but it leaves me a little weaker then normal," Naruto said. He looked back, almost as if he could still see the large trench his attack had created. "I probably could have used one of my other attacks that cost less chakra and been just as well off, but that was the most sure fire way to destroy them."

Barret merely grunted in reply, he was never interested in the mechanics behind something like that materia jargon he had listened to Cloud explain when he asked. And the words of the whiskered blond before him were the exact same to him, useless information about a mystical power that he would simply never understand.

Laying down flat against his side of the truck, Red 13 eyed Naruto in idle curiosity. That had been no ordinary materia attack. The feline knew quite a bit about Materia, considering where he came from and who had raised him. He had never seen anything like it. The red furred feline decided he would keep an eye on Naruto for the time being, the man was proving to be a very interesting human.

The rest of the trip seemed to be smooth sailing. Naruto watched as the lamp posts and street signs of the highway passed by in a blur. Looking out over the lip of the wall that followed the roadway, he could see the city of Midgar, a twinkling sea of lights with the large Mako Reactors belching their acrid green smoke in the distance.

A weight leaned against his arm. Naruto looked down to see Aerith was resting her head on his shoulder. Smiling a little, he allowed her to do so as he closed his eyes and entered a light meditation, letting his thoughts drift. However, as the seconds ticked by, the blond's small moment of peace was interrupted by the loud shout of Barret.

"The fuck is that!?"

Opening his eyes, Naruto turned his head to find Barret staring at something behind the truck. Looking over he began swearing in his head as he saw the large vehicle heading their way. A large tank about four times the size of the truck they were in. It's six spiked wheels tore apart the ground as it drove towards them, small pock marks were being left behind as the spiky protrusions stabbed into and pulled out of the ground in a never ending cycle. The main body, a large, slightly oval shaped trunk of blue with silver highlights, was attached to a hexagonal base by a large spherical ball bearing. A set of joints and shafts were set apart on either side, their ends clamping down on slightly curved sheets of metal. Two large exhaust ports strutted out of the machines back, pouring black fumes into the night sky. The tank was bearing down on them, it's monstrous engine completely overpowering the much smaller one in their vehicles.

"Who cares what it is!" Naruto shouted as he began giving orders. "Just shoot it!"

Barret growled at the blond trying to give him orders. How was it that he had gone from Rebel leader to grunt in just a few days? Still, this particular order was one he had no trouble complying with as he had no desire to see what would happen if that thing caught up to them. Opening up with a full barrage of gun-fire, he watched as the bullets sparked and clanked against the gleaming steel exterior of the machine. Several loud curses, each one vulgar enough to make a sailor blush spewed forth from his mouth as he saw that his shots weren't doing anything. He wasn't even sure if they were leaving a scratch on it.

"Fuck! I hate these motha' fuckin' machines! God damn Shinra for making them!"

As the big man continued launching a near continuous stream of bullets at the incoming tank, Naruto was beginning to regret using the Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō on that hummer. That particular jutsu was S-rank due to it's power and chakra requirements, which was as much as his Tsuīn Rasenshuriken. The attack had depleted his already dropping reserves down to less than a third of what it normally was. Once again, he had to curse the fact that the chakra cost for all of his attacks were nearly double if not triple what they had been in the Elemental Nations. If he had known the cost of using even a single jutsu of that level would be this high, he would have rather been stuck with using handseals.

His eyes scanned the machine as Barret fired away, the gun-fire wasn't doing anything beyond causing a shower of sparks. As far as he could see anyways. However, as he continued studying the tank Naruto thought he saw a weakness that could possibly be exploited.

"Barret!" He shouted over the howl of wind and the sound of gun-fire. "You see that ball bearing near the base of the tank between the wheels? The one that's attaching the trunk and base together!?"

Barret grunted as he looked at where Naruto was pointing. "What about it!?"

"That's probably it's only weakness! Shoot it!"

Doing as told Barret took more care to aim his large and heavy gun-arm, even going so far as to use his other hand to act as a counter balance. He tilted his head and looked down his arm as flesh became metal. Setting the massive machine between his sights he took aim at the small, silver spherical bearing that Naruto had pointed out. Despite the shaking his arm was steady, and as the tank closed in, released a concentrated burst that shot forward and struck his target dead on.

The tank spun out of control, losing it's balance as it was forced back. This didn't end the threat however, as the large machine soon regained it's bearings and managed to rotate towards them again. It came in once more, barreling down on them. Barret attempted to shoot at the now known weakness, only to find that the thing seemed capable of learning, as one of the shafts that was clinging to the curved plate of metal moved. The shafts appeared to be an arm attached to a shield. The arm moved, covering it's body and protecting the ball bearing from getting hit. Barret swore as the bullets clanged against the shield and ricocheted off.

"Shit!"

Feeling the the slightest vestiges of panic, Naruto began looking around to see if there was anything he could use to take the large tank currently gaining on them out. It was unfortunate that the highway was pretty much empty of anything useful. It was just an empty eight lane road with a wall down the middle, splitting the eight lanes by four and higher walls that closed the highway itself off so cars wouldn't fly off the road. However, as he was looking over at Cloud, Naruto suddenly got an idea. It was insane, stupid, and completely reckless, but if it worked that was all that would matter.

"Cloud!" He shouted, cupping his hands in the hopes it would help his voice reach the ex-SOLDIER. Cloud looked from the large machine behind them to Naruto. He saw the other blond gesturing for him and quickly nodded. Tilting his bike, he moved it over to the truck, and was surprised when Naruto quickly jumped on the back. Before he even had a chance to ask what the shinobi was doing, Naruto spoke up, "I need you to get alongside of that thing!"

"What!?" Cloud shouted in shock as he looked over his shoulder to see Naruto crouched on the back of his bike, back facing him as the ex-shinobi cast a glare at the machine chasing them. The whiskered blond turned his head to look at him with a serious expression.

"You heard me! There should be enough space for you to squeeze through on the side!"

It took a few moments before Cloud realized what Naruto planned on doing. And once he did, he had no trouble telling the blond shinobi what he thought about him. "You're crazy!"

"So I've been told! Now get moving!"

Cloud grunted, thinking the plan didn't have a single chance of working. Despite this, he also realized that they really didn't have much of a choice. Nothing else seemed to work, Cloud couldn't concentrate on his magic and driving, and Barret's bullets didn't do anything. There was also the fact that if they did nothing, then they were as good as dead anyways. So he did as told, pressing down on the breaks to slow his motorcycle as he tried to move along side the mammoth tank.

"Keep ahead of it until I give the signal," Naruto instructed. Cloud didn't respond with words but the burst of speed he put on the bike showed he acknowledged the man's orders. They kept ahead of the giant tank, keeping themselves in front of it as much as possible in the hopes of acting as a diversion for the others in the truck. It seemed to work as Cloud began swerving the bike and the machine followed. However, as one of the wheels nearly grazed his rear tire, Cloud began wondering when Naruto was going to give the signal.

It was as he was thinking those thoughts that a large bolt of lightning shot out from Aerith on the truck, striking the machine on one of it's exhausts. As electricity began coursing through it, the tank began to sputter and spark. It swerved off to the side, it's left wheels grinding against the wall.

"Now!"

Cloud pulled on the breaks, slowing himself down long enough to move to the mammoth machine's side.

Naruto's body tensed, the muscles in his arms and legs rippling as he burst into action. He launched himself out of his crouch on the motorcycle and soared onto the machine's right arm, using chakra to stick to it's surface. Gritting his teeth, the only ninja of the group prepared to do commit what was quite possibly the most suicidal move he had ever done. And considering this was Naruto, that was truly saying something.

His task done, Cloud gunned the engines and took off before the massive weapon recovered and tried to smash into him.

Unsheathing his blade, Naruto jumped along it's metal surface, hopping from part to part and soon landed on the front lip of it's base, right next to the spherical ball bearing. With Yamato wreathed in crackling lightning, the blond shinobi began his attack.

"Chidorigatana: Ryūkansen!" Using precise steps and perfect chakra control, Naruto took a single step along the lip of the base. Moving left, Naruto used his incredible speed to step along the machine's side. While doing so he spun in a full circle, adding momentum and centrifugal force to the strength of the sword swing. Combining the power behind his swing with the sharpness of his blade and the piercing damage of that was multiplied in power due to the machine's weakness against lightning, the blade easily sliced straight through the spherical bearing that held the upper torso of the machines body to it's lower half.

A large explosion rocked the massive tank, the force of which sent Naruto flying off it's body as he did not have enough chakra to stick to the metal surface. Not that staying on the now destroyed death machine would have been any better. The upper torso flew off, crashing against the ground with a loud _bang _before blowing up in a gout of flames and flying parts of machinery. The wheeled lower half veered out of control, smashing into the wall with enough force that it broke through and tumbled out of sight.

Naruto hit the ground hard, rolling and tumbling for nearly twenty meters with bone jarring force. Each impact against the ground felt like someone was smashing him against a boulder. He was only thankful that he was able to protect his head by covering it with his hands and arms, otherwise he was sure he would have splattered his brains across the pavement long before now.

He rolled to a stop, but didn't get up as he felt his body protest the moment he tried. Instead he lay there, just managing to roll himself onto his back while waiting for his wounds to heal. His body groaned in pain, he could hear his bones crackling and popping as they were snapped into place and healed. The scarred and cracked flesh hissed, steam wafting from the wounds as they too began closing up. It came with a sigh of relief as his body finally healed all of it's damage. Pushing himself up, Naruto made to stand on wobbly legs , and looked over to where he saw his friends driving back towards him, Cloud on his motorcycle and Tifa in the truck. He smiled, glad that this particular was finally over. Hopefully, they would now be able to rest easier.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Cissnei sighed as she walked down the stairs. With the damage Naruto and the others had caused to the elevators, all Shinra employees had been forced to take the stairs while the elevators underwent repairs. Walking down nearly forty flights of stairs was tiring. Still, she managed, opening the door to the Shinra garage and making her way to the elevator that would lead her to the Turks Lounge.<p>

When she got there, it was to see Tseng sitting in a chair as video feed from the recent debacle played on the screen. Seeing the contents that were being shown, and knowing he had wanted to know as soon as it happened she said, "Naruto, Aerith and the others have escaped just as you thought they would."

"Good," Tseng said from where he sat. He was leaning against the table, his right elbow propping up his forearm as he rested his head against his hand. His eyes never wavered from the scene he was watching, which was replaying over and over again in a continual feedback loop.

"Is this really what you want?" Cissnei asked, her eyes moving from Tseng to the scene being played. They moved back to her boss when she was unable to keep herself from getting annoyed at the video. "We are going against Shinra's orders by not attempting to track her down immediately."

"No we're not," Tseng replied, a small smirk on his face. "Neither President Rufus nor Hedeigger have given us orders to track down Aerith since she escaped with Naruto. Until they do, we have no authority to go after them." Cissnei smiled a bit at her bosses response, but lost it when he turned to her and asked, "and what about you? Do you regret letting them escape?"

"No," Cissnei responded immediately, her locks of brown hair swaying back and forth as she shook her head. "It's as you said, Aerith's aid would be meaningless if it didn't come of her own free will." She trailed off for a second before continuing in a much softer voice. "Plus, I owe it to _him _to keep her safe."

"Yes, I suspected as much," Tseng turned back to the screen as he looked watched the video restart itself. "We owe _him_ a lot. It's..." He grimaced for a moment before continuing, "unfortunate that we couldn't save _him_." It had always been what Tseng had perceived as one of his greatest failings, that he hadn't been able to protect one of his friends when they needed him most. He sighed heavily before adding. "Still, at least _his _friend is safe and sound if not quite whole..."

"I was surprised as well," Cissnei started when Tseng trailed off in thought. She walked up to her leader, stopping just a few feet behind him and off to the left. "He didn't seem to recognize you, even though I know you and he had worked on several missions together."

"I suspect something has happened to him since he came back." Looking over at Cissnei, Tseng added, "from what you told me, he was suffering from a severe case of Mako poisoning. If that's the case, then it is quite possible he has lost much of his memories... and perhaps even added new ones..." The black haired leader of the Turks trailed off again, his head swiveling around to stare at the video screen in silent contemplation.

When it became clear that he wouldn't speak, Cissnei asked. "Are you worried about Aerith?"

"... No," Tseng said after a moment. He shook his head before smiling as he watched the scene on the screen play again. "She has Naruto with her. I suspect that, so long as they're together, she'll be fine." When Cissnei didn't respond he turned to see a small frown on her face. With an amused smile he asked, "do you feel as if she beat you again?"

A blush crept on Cissnei's cheeks in response to his words. Huffing, the younger Turk turned her head to look away as she said, "of course not. Why would you even think that?"

"I wonder..." Tseng chuckled in amusement, causing the woman to bristle a tad. Sighing, his eyes moved back over to the video feed, which was once again showing the part where Naruto and Aerith shared a kiss in the glass prison in Hojo's lab. "Naruto is a lot like _him_, wouldn't you agree?"

"Too much like him," was the response he got, causing another mild mannered chuckle to escape.

"You seem to be tightly wound these days," he observed.

Cissnei frowned at the man as she responded, saying, "I have no clue what you're talking about."

"I'm saying it's been a long time since you've gotten a vacation." Finally turning his chair to fully face her, he said, "why don't you take a month or so paid vacation. I hear Gongaga is nice this time of year."

Despite herself, a smile worked it's way to Cissnei's face as she said, "thank you..." looking away she was silent for several seconds before adding, "I've been meaning to go visit _his _parents, but wasn't able to due to work..."

"I understand." Tseng reached over to the small remote control sitting near his left on the table. Picking it up he pressed a button and shut the video feed off. "I remember you promised _him _you would visit his parents sometime. I'm just sorry it took so long before I could let you go."

"It's fine," Cissnei said, rubbing her left arm in a slightly self-conscious gesture. Wanting to change the subject she asked, "when do I get to leave?"

Tseng ran a hand through his hair as he replied. "With all that's happened between President Shinra's death, Rufus' ascension, Sephiroth's return and Aerith's escape, things will be a tad hectic for a while. But I suspect you will be able to leave in a month, two at the most."

Cissnei gave a nod but remained silent, waiting to see if Tseng had any further orders.

"For now, focus on maintaining security at the Headquarters. I doubt President Rufus will stay here for long. Now that Sephiroth is on the loose, he'll want to capture the man as soon as possible. Once he heads out, I'll be able to let you take an extended leave of absence."

"Sir," Cissnei said, while not snapping off a salute she still straightened her posture.

Tseng quickly waved her off. "That will be all, Cissnei." The woman gave him a nod, and turned around to leave the room. Just before she could make her exit, Tseng spoke up again. "Oh, and you may want to check your pockets." The Turk leader didn't even bother looking at her when Cissnei turned around to face him again. "I believe someone might have given you a message during the Ancients unfortunate escape."

Frowning, Cissnei checked her pants pockets, all four of them. Not finding anything, she was about to ask her boss what he was talking about when a slight rustling inside of her left jacket pocket came to her. Curiosity getting the better of her, Cissnei stuck her hand inside of the jacket pocket that was hidden inside of her suit, and pulled out a small sheet of paper. Looking at it, she saw that it was a note addressed to her:

_Hey Cissnei, it's me. Listen, I just wanted to thank you in advance for letting me bunk with Aerith. I really appreciate it. If you ever feel like quitting Shinra be sure to let me know. We could always use an extra hand, and I would be very happy if I didn't have to fight any of my friends._

_Naruto._

At the bottom of the letter was a crude drawing of a chibi-Naruto giving her the peace sign.

Cissnei blinked as she finished reading the letter. She then looked up at Tseng, who had finally turned around to look at her, a very small smirk on his face. "How did he get this on me? Better yet, how did he know what was going to happen?" she asked, not really expecting an answer.

"I can't answer the second question," Tseng told her. "But as to the first, well, let's just say you're not the only one who received a letter from him."

"You got one too?"

"Yes," Tseng pulled out the letter Naruto had given him and waved it in the air in front of his face. "It reads: Dear Tseng, thanks for making sure that son of a bitch Hojo didn't hurt Aerith. I guess you're not such a bastard after all. Naruto." As Cissnei stared at him with a blank expression, as if trying to comprehend what she had just heard while Tseng grinned at her. "It seems he really did get the last laugh."

"B-But," Cissnei stuttered for a moment as she tried to comprehend what she had just learned. "If Naruto had these letters on him to give to us, then that means he had written them before infiltrating Shinra Headquarters..."

"Which means he was probably aware that we never really tried that hard to capture Aerith before," Tseng finished for the stunned young woman. "Which also means he probably knew that we never really intended to capture Aerith at all, and that this event was something beyond our control. Of course, if we go with this theory, we can probably further speculate that he knew we would let him escape with Aerith in tow."

"Which would explain why he wasn't worried," Cissnei murmured, before looking back at the Turk leader. "But that still doesn't explain how he had managed to slip us these letters. The only time he would have been able to do that was when we were in the Presidents Suit, and he was handcuffed at the time. The only way he could have slipped those letters into our suits without anyone noticing is if..." her eyes widened as she trailed off.

"Is if he had never really been cuffed in the first place and was just putting on an act for our benefit," Tseng said with a small grin. "In fact, I am beginning to suspect that everything he has done up to this point has been just that, an act."

"That sneaky, conniving bastard," Cissnei swore. "I can't believe it. All this time I thought we had finally managed to catch him off guard, but the truth is he was already aware of everything we had planned out and simply acted accordingly. Damn." To think that Naruto had played them all so well. The amount of forethought needed to plan out such an elaborate hoax was insane. Just how many moves ahead could that guy think?

Than again, this _was _the man who had managed to superglue Rino and Rude to the main door of Shinra Headquarters in a very provocative position while they were butt naked. THinking along those lines maybe it wasn't so insane for him to be capable of accomplishing something like this.

"Almost makes you wonder what we would have had to face if Naruto really was our enemy," Tseng mused idly. Cissnei shivered at the thought of having the blond as an actual enemy. Naruto had always been devious when dealing with them, the number of times the Turks had been caught in one of his pranks was past the double digits. What would have happened if those pit falls they had fallen into were filled with spikes instead of rubber cement? Or if the pellets that were shot at them were highly acidic instead of the basic clothes eating acid? Just thinking about some of the pranks that could have easily killed anyone of them had they been made with more malicious intent filled Cissnei with dread.

"That, doesn't sound pleasant," Cissnei said. "Suddenly, I'm finding myself very glad that Naruto was never truly our enemy."

"Yes, realizing what someone like him is capable of really does tend to put things into perspective, doesn't it?" He mused almost to himself as he watched Aerith and Naruto share in a much more intimate moment while in their cell together. "It looks like things are going to be getting interesting from here on out. We can only hope Naruto Uzumaki has what it takes to protect Aerith from the hard times that will be ahead of them."

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>A light sneeze erupted from Naruto's nose as he gazed out at the extended horizon line beyond Midgar.<p>

"Are you alright, Naruto?" asked Aerith. He, Aerith, Cloud and the others stood at the end of the highway. The incomplete road stopped rather abruptly, making everyone glad they had finished off that large tank before it could bull doze them over the side. The sun was beginning to rise over a set of mountains in the distance, and Naruto realized with some surprise that he had been awake for nearly twenty-four hours. The blond shinobi could only image how the others felt as he had no doubt none of them were used to staying up for so long.

"I'm fine," Naruto said with a smile. "I think someone's just talking about me."

"So what do we do now?" asked Barret, interrupting Aerith before she could make some playful comment on Naruto's words. Though his voice was still gruff, the man was much more quiet then he usually was. No doubt due to his confusion, a lot had happened since the battle to keep the Sector Seven Plate from falling. Naruto didn't doubt that the big man had no clue on what they should do next. Not that he could blame him.

"Sephiroth is alive," Cloud said in answer to the man's question. Naruto looked over to his fellow blond, noting the man's distant gaze as he was no doubt lost in memories. His response was almost mechanical when he continued. "I... I have to settle the score."

Barret raised an eyebrow as he looked at Cloud, then grunted and turned his eyes back over to the horizon. "And that'll save the Planet?"

"... Seems like it."

Barret nodded, as if that settled things. "Awight, I'm goin' to!"

A hand slipped into Naruto's grasp. Turning his head, he looked over to see Aerith standing next to him. She looked over at him for a second, a silent question in her eyes to which he gave a nod. Smiling, she said, "Naruto and I are going too... I have things I need to find out."

Cloud frowned as he looked at the couple. "About the Ancients?"

Aerith shrugged before giving an enigmatic smile. "... Many things."

"I guess we'll be leaving Midgar then," Naruto said with a chuckle. "Sounds like a plan to me. I've always hated life in the big city anyways. A good old fashion adventure sounds like just the kind of thing I need to get myself back into shape."

"Che, this ain't no game fool!" Barret groused with an angry glare towards the blond. "Makin' it sound like you's jus' comin' with us to have a good time."

Naruto frowned at the man's words, but couldn't blame him since he rarely ever acted serious anymore. Partly because he was afraid of what he could become if he let his negative emotions get the best of him. They had already proven before that if he wasn't careful he could lose himself to anger. Sighing, he said, "I know this isn't a game. But I also know that if everyone's always serious all the time, then we'll burn out long before we ever accomplish our goals. A little levity never hurt anyone, you know."

"Whatever."

A smile made it's way at Barret's half-hearted response. Aerith let out a small giggle as she leaned her head against Naruto's shoulder. Placing his arm around her waist as he looked out at the sun as it finished rising over the mountains, Naruto couldn't help but wonder where this new journey would take him.

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><p><strong>I wanted to get this chapter finished and posted before Thanksgiving. Think of it as my treat to you, something you can enjoy during this festive holiday while stuffing your face with turkey and pumpkin pie.<strong>

**For those of you who are curious, this is the end of the first phase. Phase two will now be coming up, dubbed Phase 2: The Search For Sepheroth. I hope you are all look forward to it.**

**Peace!**


	20. P2 A5 C1: Kalm

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 2: The Search For Sepheroth**

**Arch 5: Exploring The New World**

**Chapter 20: Kalm**

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><p>It took a lot more effort then any of them wanted to escape from Midgar. With Shinra looking for them and the panic that had been caused by there escape and Sepheroth's return, there were a lot more soldiers being sent out to guard the city. And not just standard infantry. More then once the group had nearly run into some of the powerful war machines that Shinra inc. seemed set on building to help replace the members of their army that they had lost at the hands of AVALANCHE.<p>

Not only had they decided to unleash what seemed to be their entirety of their robotic forces, but it seemed that Shinra had finally decided to employ members of SOLDIER to help in their search. Thankfully, very few people ever made it to first-class, with only a few dozen ever reaching that prestigious position. According to Cloud, only two dozen or so people ever became a first-class SOLDIER. The low level grunts, the second and third class, while league's better than the standard infantry, were simple enough to evade.

After several hours of traveling through congested streets and avoiding Shinra patrols, Naruto, Cloud, Barret, Red 13, Tifa and Aerith had managed to reach the edge of the wall that kept Midgar isolated from the rest of the world. From there it had simply been a matter of finding the proper equipment to scale over the wall of the large plate that hovered nearly a hundred meters above the ground.

When the group finally set down outside of Midgars walls, Naruto took his first look at the world outside of the city he had lived in for the better part of the year. To say he was disappointed would be a slight understatement.

The land before him was mostly desert, a dried and dead world with naught a tree or shrub in sight. The ground was cracked and pitted, reminding him of the third degree burns that some of the shinobi he had fought alongside would get when they were hit by a powerful katon jutsu. To him, it looked as if someone had sucked up all the life there was in this area, then took a blow torch to it. The only discrepancies he could see in the general vicinity were the cliffs that rose into the sky several kilometers away, and the many rock formations that jutted out from the ground like clawed hands grasping for the heavens.

"Not much to look at, is it?"

Turning his head, Naruto saw Aerith walking up to him as she too surveyed the land before her. Looking back at the cracked and crusted ground, he replied. "I suspect the reason this area is so dead is due to Shinra. With the Mako Reactors sucking out all of the life force Shinra has essentially turned this place into a dead zone." Turning his head to view the nearest Mako Reactor he added, "the fact that Midgar has not one but eight Reactors has sped along the process of sucking this place dry."

"That's why I formed AVALANCHE," Barret said as he too entered the conversation. He looked at Naruto with an appraising eye before grunting. "Seein' this place always reminds me of why I fight Shinra. To stop shit like this from happenin'!"

There was more to it then that, Naruto could sense this man's anger as easily as he could feel his own chakra. To someone like him, the gun-arm man's hatred was clearer than the sun on a day where there were no clouds in the sky. Barret hated Shinra, for one reason or another, and this reason was enough that it had driven him to fight the large company in order to get revenge.

Naruto didn't know the reason for the man's anger, and he wouldn't ask since he felt it wasn't any of his business. But a part of him couldn't help but worry. Though Barret seemed to be capable of showing prudence despite his reckless attitude, the blond feared a day when the much larger man would be consumed by vengeance and hatred. When he would become a mockery of the very ideals he stood for.

Just like Sasuke had.

With a heavy sigh, Naruto banished those thoughts. They wouldn't do him any good. And he had to remind himself that this man wasn't Sasuke. He had seen that Barret still had a good heart, it had been clear as day when the man was with Marlene, how he would shower her with love and affection. No, unless he lost her, then he should be just fine.

Bringing his stray thoughts all under control, Naruto shook his head and turned to look at everyone else. "I think it's time we get moving. The longer we stay here, the better chance Shinra has at finding us again. We need to move out before they have a chance to mobilize their forces outside of Midgar." Looking over at Barret, he asked, "are there any towns near here that we can go to?" When the man looked at him with a raised eyebrow, he elaborated by saying, "we'll need a place to rest and buy supplies. Long journey's like the one we're going on will require a lot more then what we have. And also," Naruto looked over at Cloud before adding. "I believe someone needs to give us an explanation on how going after Sephiroth will help save The Planet."

Cloud nodded at his words, knowing that the other blond was talking about him. It went without saying that Naruto and the others were curious about his past with the man who had been hailed as the greatest member of SOLDIER to ever live. The look in their eyes made it clear. He already planned on telling them everything he knew as it wouldn't do to keep a secret like this, especially since they were all on the same side.

Grunting a bit, Barret thought about Naruto's question for a moment before giving an answer. "The closes' town I can think of is a small village northeast of here, a town called Kalm. I've been there before comin' to Midgar. It's tiny, but they should have a place we can buy supplies from."

Nodding, Naruto began forming plans in his head and giving out orders to the others, "then that's where we'll head." He looked at everyone around him and frowned as he realized they had way to many people to move safely. Commenting on this he stated, "I believe we should also split up. Traveling in a large group like this will make it easier for us to spot as more people tend to attract more attention. Normally, I would suggest we move in groups of four however, since there are only six of us we'll stick with two groups of three."

A pause. Naruto reviewed all of the information he had on everyone with him from previous observations and used that knowledge to decide who should travel together. After analyzing the various bits and pieces of data on everyone, he came to a decision and said. "Cloud, Barret and Tifa will form one team. As you were all part of AVALANCHE you all know each others skill sets and habits better then the rest of us, so you three will probably work better with each other then if we split you up. Plus, with Cloud and Tifa being close-range fighters, having Barret with you two to give long-range support will prove beneficial in the long run. Which means myself, Aerith and Red 13 will form the other group."

Cloud frowned for a moment as he looked at the three who wouldn't be going with him and noticed a problem. Commenting on this he said, "What about you three? All of you are also close-range fighters, aren't you? Aerith uses her stave, you use a katana and Red 13 uses his claws."

"Actually, Aerith is more of a support-type healer then a front line fighter," Naruto corrected, scratching his chin as he reviewed his knowledge on his girlfriends fighting style. "While I've taught her how to use a stave, she's much better at using healing materia then anyone else I know. And while Red 13 is mainly a close-range type I've seen how he handles materia. And while I prefer getting up close and personal in a fight, I am also more then capable of using long ranged projectiles." To make his point Naruto flicked both of his hands and summoned several shuriken to his left and a kunai into his right. Holding them up for Cloud to see he continued, saying, "while these won't match up to a gun in pure fire power nor can I launch them at the speed of a bullet, I can throw them with deadly accuracy from well over two-hundred meters. We'll be fine."

For a moment there was silence in the clear, which was soon disrupted when Aerith covered her mouth with her hand and let out a soft giggle. "Are you trying to advertise yourself, Naruto?" she asked teasingly. "It sounds to me like your trying to show off a bit."

"First of all," Naruto said with a mock scowl. "If I was going to show off I would do something awesome, like say, throw several dozen shuriken to shave those spikes off Cloud's head without any of them injuring him." Almost on instinct Cloud's hands went to his hair. Behind him Tifa giggled while Barret snickered, causing him to give a mild glare of annoyance towards his fellow blond. Grinning, Naruto continued, "second, I'm not trying to sell myself to anyone. We're all on the same team and have the same goals. I'm just trying to ease Cloud's mind and let him know that his concerns, while appreciated, are unfounded."

"Sure, whatever you say," Aerith said in a way that told everyone she was humoring the blond. Naruto took a moment to grumble about 'not getting any respect' and that 'Shikamaru was right, women were troublesome'. It was most unfortunate that Aerith heard him however. The brunette quickly turned to him, hands on her hips as she asked, "did you say something?"

"Not a thing," Naruto replied, quickly switching topics before she could call him out on his lie. Turning to look at everyone else he said, "now that everyone knows where we're going and who you are going with, we should all get moving."

Before Naruto or anyone else could even think of moving out, Barret decided he had several points of contention to make. He did this by glaring at Naruto as he spoke up in an irritated growl, "jus' hold on one damn minute. Who the hell died and made you leader?"

"Erm... what?" asked Naruto, blinking several times as he looked over at the man that looked like he was about to blow a gasket. The confusion on his face was quite evident as he stared at Barret, wondering just why the larger dark skinned male was being so belligerent. Granted, Barret was almost always belligerent, but he seemed to be reaching a new level of obnoxious at the moment.

"I was askin' who the hell made you leader!?"

"No one made me leader," Naruto answered with a shrug, as if he didn't see the problem Barret was getting at. "However, since no one seems to have said anything, I decided it would simply be prudent to take charge so we could move out." Loosening his stance as he looked at the much larger man with an even look, the blond asked, "do you have a problem with that?"

"You ain't fit to lead!" Barret groused, his rumbling voice coming out in a growl. "I've been leadin' AVALANCHE for over a year now. If anyone's gonna be leadin' here, it's gonna be me!"

Naruto couldn't believe this man was making such a big deal out of who led and who followed. While he could clearly see that the man felt he was the only one fit to lead, Naruto was curious as to why he felt that way. Not that he would bother asking or let it slow him down. As far as he was concerned, the man before him may have the Charisma of a leader, but was far to brash and reckless to properly lead a team, especially when they would inevitably wind up in a dangerous situation where keeping cool under fire would be a necessity. Knowing this, he immediately sought to bring the man back down to earth.

"Right, because your actions thus far have really done a whole lot of good," Naruto said, his tone calm and controlled. Despite the even tone there was a hint of mocking sarcasm to his words, and it was easy for everyone there – aside from Red 13 who had not been with them long enough to know their whole story – to see what the whiskered shinobi was talking about.

"What's that!?" Barret growled at him.

"Barret, you created an eco-terrorist group that, though unintentional, ended up killing a lot of innocent bystanders. The first Mako Reactor you blew up killed over 265 people, only a handful of them actually worked for Shinra. And while your second explosion caused less collateral damage as a whole, it led to Shinra deciding that they had enough and led them to destroy the support pillar holding up the plate above Sector Seven. There were well over 10,000 people who died that day, and were it not for Tifa's insight and Aerith's aid, you would have lost your daughter as well. Your actions thus far have been brash, reckless and caused the unintended deaths of over 10,000 people, which is far worse the causing intentional deaths since at least when it's intentional you are knowingly killing people. Not as a side effect to something you've done. Not only that, you also ended up getting most of the members of your group killed, the only reason Jessie even lived through that debacle was because I happen to be a talented healer. To top it all off, you played right into Shinra's hand, allowing them to make you look like the villains who destroyed the support pillar."

As Naruto berated the man, he watched as Barret – and Tifa – visibly winced at each and every point he drove home. Barret in particular was looking like someone had punched him in the gut. While he didn't particularly enjoy showing the big man all of his faults, essentially beating them into his head with an iron fan. He also knew that this man may have good intentions, but the actions he took were far to reckless for someone who would be expected to lead everyone.

When he finished making his point, Naruto asked, "give us one good reason why you think you would make a good leader? As this is a group that has yet to truly form into any kind of cohesive unit, I believe we all have the right to choose who should lead us. So present your case, tell us why you would make a good leader and everyone will come to a decision based on that."

"Well..." Barret struggled to find an answer. Thinking hard, much harder then he normally did about things like this, which if he was honest with himself had never felt mattered before, the big man found himself unable to come up with anything. Still, he tried, saying, "when you put it like that, you make it sound like I didn't know what I was doin'. But it wasn't like any of that stuff that happened was my fault! Shinra's the one who caused all those deaths, building those damn Reactors, dropping the plate on Sector Seven! I had nothin' to do with that!"

"Did you forget about our talk of taking responsibility for your actions already, Barret?" asked Naruto, allowing the sneer on his face to be seen for the first time. When Barret flinched he took that as a yes, so said, "obviously you have. While Shinra may have been the ones who did the deed, your actions were what led them to do it. You bear just as much responsibility for their deaths as Shinra. I told you this before, a good leader must always take responsibility for his actions."

Naruto paid close attention to the way Barret's face scrunched up, a clear sign that dark skinned man was trying to find some way to dispute his claim. However, after several seconds it became clear that the man could not. The large man's shoulder's drooped and a look of defeat appeared on his face.

Sighing, Naruto ran a hand through his hair and said, "still, you are correct in that no one has made me leader. However, it is not up to a single individual to decide something like that. So I believe everyone should have a say in who they feel the best person to lead our group is." The blond then looked over to the person he had known the longest in this world. "Aerith, why don't you start."

"You already know my answer," Aerith said with a smile. "I've known you for a long time, and you're the only person I know who I feel is truly capable of leading us."

"I have to agree," Cloud added, making everyone look at him in surprise. Seeing the attention turn to him, he shrugged. "I've never really been what you could call leadership material. Normally, when I was on a mission it would be with a partner, most often times they would be the superior officer. I _can _lead and have done it before, but I don't think I'm the best person for the job. Tifa?"

At her name being called, Tifa looked from Cloud, then to Naruto before stating her case. "If Cloud thinks you would make a good leader, then I think you should lead. You've already proven to me through your words that you know what a leader is supposed to do, so all you need to do now is prove it through your actions."

"I do not care who leads," Red 13 said when everyone looked at him. "You may choose whoever you wish and I will follow. I merely want to return home."

With the felines decision apparently made as a non-desicion, everyone turned their attention to Barret who looked like a kid with his hand caught in the cookie jar. "What?" he grumbled, looking away from everyone with his nose in the air some kind of petulant kid who didn't want to admit to being wrong. "We've already made it clear that I ain't the leader. My opinion doesn't matter."

"Everyone's opinion matters, Barret," Naruto said with a sigh, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Really, this guy often seemed more like bratty little child than a full grown adult when he didn't get his way. "A good leader also listens to the advice and opinions of those around him. Your thoughts bear just as much weight as anybody else's."

Barret seemed surprised for a moment. His eyes widening slightly and his mouth gaping cemented the look of astonishment. He recovered admirably however, coughing into his hand before saying, "well, since it seems everyone else has already decided, I guess... I'll choose blondy to be the leader as well."

"Ok, now that that's decided, I believe we should all move out," Naruto started, not wanting to waste anymore time nor feeling the desire to rub his apparent appointment as team leader in Barret's face. "Move in your groups and head for Kalm. We'll meet up at the Inn nearest to the towns exit, gather supplies and then decide our next move. Everyone, move out!"

As the team with Cloud, Barret and Tifa walked off, Naruto and his group started making their own way. With the small leadership crises averted, the blond shinobi turned his thoughts towards the words Cloud had spoken on the rooftops before his face off with the new President of Shinra inc.

_'This is the real crises for the Planet... I wonder what he meant by that...'_ Naruto turned his gaze towards the three figures growing ever distant from him and frowned. _'I also can't help but wonder what his connection to Sephiroth is. The man who was said to be the strongest SOLDIER ever conceived.'_

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>The journey to Kalm was a bit more difficult then he had expected. It seemed that, outside of Midgar the ever present dangers of monster attacks grew exponentially, even when compared to the Slums. So far the number of attacks they had received as they made their way through the seemingly never ending desert came almost twice a day, sometimes even four or five times a day. In Midgar, even in the slums, attacks from monsters only happened maybe once or twice a month, and even then it was only when you were outside of the sectors populated by humans.<p>

The creature's that attacked them were wolf-like animals, with thick purple fur, glowing red eyes, and a nasty set of sharp fangs and claws. As Naruto Uzumaki played look out, jumping across the large boulders and naturally formed pillars that jutted out of the ground, he could already see another pack coming towards his party.

They normally traveled in packs of six, three would lead in the front and the other three would stay back until called for by the sound a loud howl. Naruto had found this out the hard way when he had stuck one with a kunai coated in wind chakra, but failed to kill it despite the projectile weapon having gone all the way through it's body. It had released a loud howl that had called for the other members of it's pack, all of which had soon come running and pounced on the unprepared group. Red 13 had gotten quite the bite injury on his torso from that, and even Naruto had been wounded when he'd jumped in front of Aerith, blocking an attack that had been meant for her and ended up getting a chunk of flesh torn out of his arm for his troubles. Had it not been for his supreme healing ability, he probably would have been forced to use his healing jutsu. Thankfully, his wound had healed within a few minutes, and Aerith had been more then capable of healing Red 13's injury. She was getting much better at using materia every day.

As he observed the group of wolves, which he had learned thanks to a unique materia that Red 13 had found that allowed the feline to scan his enemies was named, Kalm Fangs, he couldn't help but admire how impressive their forms were. Their bodies were very much streamlined, powerful front and hind legs that were designed for speed and high jumps across the tumultuous and rocky plains. Their fur was bright, shiny and reflective, with a large mane of feather soft purple fur running from the back of their heads to mid back. Strong fangs for teeth made for rending flesh from bones and incredibly sharp claws that were quite capable of slicing through a human body with ease, as Naruto and Red 13 had found out. Not only that, but they were clearly more intelligent then the beasts that he had found in Midgar.

His thoughts and admiration of the impressive creatures that could be found in Gaia only lasted for a split second before he got to work. Placing his index finger and thumb between his lips, Naruto let out a piercing whistle. It was only a single, sharp whistle, a signal that told his companions what sort of enemies to expect. The one he had used was for Kalm Fangs, and if he had let out a longer whistle, it would have let them know they had run into a Shinra patrol.

Down below and several meters away, Aerith and Red 13 looked up from where they were walking at the sound of the piercing whistle. The path they were taking was bumpy, with thousands of rocks of all sizes littering the ground and making it difficult for Aerith to walk without tripping over something. Red 13 didn't have that problem, being a creature with four legs and the natural grace given to his feline species. Knowing what the whistle meant, the pair prepared themselves for the pack of Kalm Fangs that would be coming for them.

Removing his hand from his mouth, Naruto flicked his wrist and pulled out a set of shuriken. Four in total, one situated between his thumb and index finger, another between index and middle, middle and ring, and finally, ring and pinky fingers. Not particularly caring about perfect aim, the blond flicked his wrist and launched the four-pointed throwing stars at the trio of Fangs coming towards him.

"Kunai Kage Bunshin No Jutsu."

In mid-flight, the four shuriken soon became forty shuriken, enough that it blocked much of his sight from the Kalm Fangs as they raced towards him as they jumped along the rocky outcroppings like he was. However, he did seen them as they all jumped down to the ground below, dodging the shuriken as they hit the area the Fangs had been seconds previously. Many of the kunai went up in a puff of smoke, enough to cover much of the area they hit. The four original shuriken he launched hit the rocky outcropping with a series of loud clangs.

He would have to remember to grab those later. It wouldn't do to waste any of his equipment when he was not sure how long he would have to go before finding someone who could make more for him.

"They've separated!" Naruto called out, cupping a hand to his mouth as he looked down below at Aerith and Red 13. Aerith had her Stave out and was holding it in the defensive stance she favored, hands gripping the grooves on either end, right tip angled downwards towards the ground while the left tip was pointed above her head. Her center of gravity was lowered as her legs bent at a forty five degree angle, spaced just a little over shoulder's width apart. It was a stance Naruto had helped her create and was made to be almost completely defensive with only a few offensive maneuvers since she was a support-healing type, not a front line fighter. Red 13 was simply waiting and ready, the muscles underneath his fur rippling as he prepared to move at a moments notice.

When Naruto knew he had their attention as they both looked up at him, he continued. "One will be coming your way in a second, the other two loped around on either since in a pincer move! I'll head off those two and stop them before they get to you. Red, I'll leave you to handle the one closing in!"

Red 13 growled an affirmative to let Naruto know he heard and acknowledged the whiskered shinobi's words. Standing up, Naruto prepared for his own battles and quickly used his still favored jutsu.

"Kage Bunshin No Jutsu."

A single clone appeared, and both he and the clone took off at same time, their forms blurring in a motion of speed. Naruto watched through both his eyes and those of his doppelgangers as they jumped across the canyon of boulders and columns. Every two seconds he and his clone would send out a pulse of chakra, essentially allowing it to act as a sonar to map out the area and find the Calm Fangs before they could reach Aerith and Red 13.

Naruto soon found his targeting, bounding away with long, loping strides as it moved between the rocky formations. It was moving very agilely, dodging and weaving with an ease that told Naruto the Kalm Fang was made for this type of environment.

Unsheathing Yamato which he now kept out when walking at all times, he prepared his attack. He waited for the beast, having already guessed it's course through the movements he felt it make according to his chakra sonar and moved accordingly. As the beast came bounding down through a small chasm between the pillar he was on and a large boulder a few feet away, Naruto dropped to the ground.

"Ryūtsuisen Zan."

Naruto held the blade in a two-handed reverse-grip and pointed the blade down as he used the momentum of his fall to increase the power behind his thrust. He knew from previous experience that doing anything other than going all out from the very beginning with these creatures was a bad idea. Kalm Fangs had a distinct terrain advantage and were deadly even to someone like him if he let himself open.

The Calm Fang never knew what hit it as Naruto's blade easily pierced straight through the creature's head, killing it instantly. The creature fell, sliding along his blade and crumpling to the ground almost silently. The blade in Naruto's hands went with it, sliding through flesh, bone, muscle and the hard ground underneath with the same ease as if he were slicing through paper and it didn't stop until his hilt touched the Kalm Fang's head. Such was the power of the attack he had used.

As Naruto stood up from the bent knee position he had taken to help absorb the impact of his fall, he pulled the blade, shining black with the blood of his fallen prey, with him. A quick flick of the wrist followed by a flashy twirl, Naruto cleaned the blade of the blood and positioned against the sheath. The swords edge slid inside the sheath with the sibilant _'hiss _of steel on steel, his hand holding the sheath acting as a guide until the tip of the blade was pointing into the slot. He slowly sheathed the blade, closing it with a definitive '_click'_ that resounded quite loudly in the silent clearing.

His breathing slowed as the small flood of adrenaline left him. With his fight – if it could truly be called that – along with that of his clone finished, Naruto took a moment to begin the process of stripping the animal of it's fur, cutting the meat and sealing the two into a pair of scrolls. He didn't know if he could sell the fur but figured it would be a waste not to at least try, and the meat could be used for food as he already knew it tasted good when cooked medium rare.

With powerful leap, Naruto jumped back onto the rock formations and made his way towards Aerith and Red 13.

The battle there was already finished by the time he arrived. When he jumped down it was to see his feline companion on guard in case more Kalm Fangs showed up. Neither of them looked injured, but that didn't stop Naruto from asking, "are both of you alright?"

"I am fine," Aerith said with a small smile. Being someone geared more towards using materia then fighting on the front lines, she had yet to actually fight any of the Kalm Fangs that had gone after them. The one time one of the beasts had gotten close to her, Naruto had defended her from the attack meant for her. He gave her a nod and a small smile before turning to Red 13.

"Do not worry about me," their four-legged companion said, shaking his head as a way to let Naruto know he was fine. "Alone those creature's aren't really that difficult to defeat." Which was in fact, the whole reason they always attempted to split the monsters up when fighting them. Together the Kalm Fangs were dangerous, alone, so long as you didn't let them dictate the battle they were more of a nuisance than anything else. Naruto wasn't really sure why that was, but figured it had something to do with their pack mentality.

"That's good," Naruto started as he looked up at the sky, staring at the setting sun. "It's going to get dark soon. We should probably begin setting up camp."

_Camp_, as Naruto called it really wasn't much of a campsite. A small fire pit with a spit over it, a basic one person sleeping bag, and Naruto took the time to draw the seals for a powerful genjutsu barrier that made them all but invisible to anyone trying to seek them out.

Because they had not been able to go to the upper plate before making their attempt at rescuing Aerith, Barret and Cloud had not been able to buy any camping equipment. All of the things they had to use were equipment Naruto himself had on hand at all times just in case something like this happened. A contingency for if they ever found themselves in the situation they were now in, as it were.

Aerith was the one who set up the fire and spit, using the equipment from one of Naruto's seals to do so. While she did that, Naruto found the best positioned boulders he could, ones that were at least ten meters apart from each other and when connected together would create a square. The Fuīnjutsu, Fōnāzu maboropurizu was a method of illusory sealing jutsu that was one of Naruto's own creations, a basic attempt at creating illusions without needing handseals or perfect chakra control. This had been created before he had used clones to make his chakra control near perfect and was still one of his favored seals when camping behind enemy lines due to how easy it was to use.

When the camp was set up, Naruto set about cooking their food. Like with their lack of camping equipment, there had been a distinct lack of food that came from Barret and Cloud having focused more on weapons than survival supplies. Therefore the group had been forced to make do with the meat Naruto cut from the Kalm Fangs, which truth be told wasn't that bad depending on how it was cooked. Red 13 preferred his cooked extra rare, while Naruto and Aerith ate their medium rare.

After dinner the group would settle down. Red 13 always ended up laying by the fire to sleep, while his fur kept him pretty warm, the nights outside of Midgar tended to be quite cold.

Aerith was unzipping the sleeping bag that Naruto had brought. Lifting the flap open, she stood back up and was just about to call for Naruto when she noticed he wasn't sitting by the fire anymore. Frowning, she began searching for him, her head turning this way and that.

It wasn't until she had made a full sweep of the campsite that she looked up to see him sitting on top of one of the larger boulders, his knees drawn up to his chest as he looked out at the horizon. Frowning, she walked over to the boulder he was on and began to climb up, using small crevices and footholds she could find to pull herself up.

"Hey," she said, her voice getting Naruto's attention. The blond turned away from looking at the nearly set sun that had almost fallen behind the mountain range and looked at her. He smiled, though it didn't seem to reach his eyes. He seemed to have something important on his mind, that much was as clear as day to the young woman. Her boyfriend was only ever like this when he was thinking deep thoughts.

"Hey," he greeted in return, before tilting his head to the side and looking at her curiously. "What are you doing up here? Shouldn't you be getting ready for bed?" asked Naruto as Aerith crawled on hands and knees over to him.

"Not without you," Aerith replied firmly as she finished making her way next to him. She sat down and scooted next to him, laying her head on his shoulders. Naruto unwound his arms from around his legs, stretching the appendages out as his right arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her to him, his hand coming to rest lightly on Aerith's hip.

The action was so automatic, so natural, Naruto couldn't help but marvel at how comfortable he was with Aerith. He had never felt this... content, this peaceful when he was with Sakura or Mei. While he would never deny his love for the woman who had been his first crush, nor refute that there had been something special between him and the woman who had shown him the more physical pleasures of a relationship. The feelings they had brought him seemed to pale in comparison to what he felt when with Aerith. It was the difference between going back to the place where you currently lived but planned on moving out of eventually and coming home.

"What are you thinking about?"

"Hmm?" Naruto turned his head to look down at Aerith, who was staring at him with a curious smile on her face. Putting on his best 'I don't know what you're talking about' face, he said, "what makes you think I'm thinking about anything?"

Still eying him with idle curiosity and that mysterious smile, Aerith huffed as she replied, "you have that small smile on your face and a serene look in your eyes. Obviously, your thinking about something. So what is it?" She asked, raising an eyebrow before adding, "or is this something you can't tell your girlfriend?"

Girlfriend. Was that what Aerith was to him now? He had never truly categorized his relationships, even when he had been dating Sakura he hadn't called her his girlfriend. But maybe that was just because he had never felt the need for affirmation of his relationships, though he admitted to himself it could also be because his mind when he was younger had never developed like others had. Still, he supposed girlfriend was an apt enough term for what Aerith was to him now. Even if he himself felt the word was somewhat childish and didn't quite match what they had.

"Naruto..."

Chuckling a bit as he heard the warning tone in Aerith's voice, Naruto pulled her even closer to him, something that shouldn't have been physically possible but somehow happened anyways, kissing her gently on the temple before speaking. "I was just thinking of how lucky I am to be with you, that's all."

Aerith huffed at him.

"Hmph, one day that smooth talking of yours isn't going to work on me."

Despite her words Aerith snuggled herself deeply against him. They enjoyed the silence for a few moments, the sun had long since passed over the horizon and the stars were beginning to come out. Millions of lights twinkling that were who knew how many billions of miles away, lighting up the night sky like a sea of billions of lit candles. Aerith only paid attention to the sight for a few moments however, before turning her face and pressing it against Naruto's shirt.

"Are you going to tell them?" she asked as the silence that had settled became disturbed by the chirping of crickets. When she felt Naruto shift against her, Aerith looked up to see he was looking at her with an inquisitive gaze. She knew he understood what she was talking about, so remained silent until he could come up with a proper response.

"Do you think I should?" was his return question. There was something guarded in his tone. Aerith knew Naruto was a secretive person. He could joke and laugh and play, even when things looked to be at their worst he would make light of the situation. But a part of that was simply so he could hide himself behind a facade of cheer, no one ever thought too much on a man who played the fool.

"I can't answer that," Aerith shook her head. "Only you can decide whether or not you want to tell them. However," Aerith lifted her head up to look at him and smiled as she said, "don't you think it would be nice if you could finally trust more people then just me?"

Naruto stared at the woman in his arms for a moment, a million thoughts going through his head. In truth, he didn't really feel like he needed anyone else. Aerith had become his world, since entering this strange new world he had dedicated himself to her safety, made her his focus, and she became the most precious person he had. Even if he gained other precious people in the process, the relationship he held with them would likely pale in comparison to the one he had with Aerith.

Still, he could see her point as well. Naruto had always been one who cherished his bonds, as well as the forging of new ones. Already he had formed several with the other members in their group, Cloud, Tifa, Red 13... he wasn't so sure about Barret, the man tended to get on his nerves, but at the same time he couldn't deny that he didn't dislike the gun-arm bearing former resistance leader. It would be nice to have more people he could rely on him, as well as having more people who could rely on him in return.

If having precious people brought out ones true strength, then having more than one precious person would make a person's potential for growth that much stronger.

After several seconds of silent contemplation he chuckled, looked back up at the starlit sky and said, "maybe. I'll think about it."

Aerith huffed a bit, knowing that he was avoiding answering her question. He would probably do so until the last minute when he made a decision and would then go through with it without even informing her first. That was just the way Naruto was.

She didn't begrudge him for it. Aerith loved everything about him, including his faults. At the same time, it was kind of annoying when he acted so spontaneously about important decisions like this.

Still, she said nothing. Shifting, Aerith moved her left leg over the lower half of Naruto's body. She used his arms to pull herself along his body, moving until she was straddling his upper thighs.

"Aerith?"

She smiled at the questioning tone in his voice, her arms drifting until they were resting around Naruto's neck. Aerith didn't speak, nor did she give her boyfriend a chance to speak again as she leaned down and claimed his lips in a kiss.

Aerith sighed contently as she felt Naruto's lips moving against hers. His lips were a little rough and slightly chapped, but to her they were perfect. A soft growl, almost a pur, escaped the back of Naruto's throat, causing her to shiver, and when he deepened the kiss she could taste him, the strangely pleasurable mixture of mint and oranges.

As her body began to heat up from the increasingly impassioned kiss and the body heat from her boyfriend, Aerith let all thoughts of Naruto's secret and what she thought he should do slip from her mind. There were other, more important things to do than converse. Things like enjoying the acts they could do now that they were a couple. Yes, that definitely sounded better than talking.

Down below the pair that were now engaged in a war to see who could pry the others tonsils out first, Red 13 looked at them for only a second before snorting and turning his head away. Human mating rituals were so strange.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Naruto's party arrived in the small village of Kalm a day later. It was around midday and the sun was beating down upon the land. The sky was a light blue and there was not a cloud hanging above them. Despite the bright shining of the sun bearing down and sending it's rays upon them, it was not hot, but lukewarm and was also being cooled by a light breeze.<p>

Blue cobblestone pavement in the form of concentric circles covered the roadways. All of the buildings were similar, blue tinted tiled roofs, plaster walls with many wooden support beams that moved in all directions; vertically, horizontally, and some that crisscrossed diagonally. Red brick stacked chimneys were a prominent feature on most of the buildings, and a few had a cylindrical shaped add on with a green tiled roof.

Decorating the center of the village was a large water pump, the slightly rusty steel groaned and squeaked in time with the thrum of the machine as it continued to feed the town water via underground canals. There was little else to the tiny hamlet that caught the eye, with only a few houses, shops, a pub and an Inn it gave off the feeling of a sleepy town where nothing exciting ever happened. Nothing at all like the bustling metropolis that was Midgar.

Rather than detract from the place, Naruto felt that was part of the small hamlets charm. There was no hustle or bustle, no rush hour where people were jostling you, then blaming you for bumping into them as they rushed off to their destination. This was the type of village where the people were much more relaxed, they didn't feel the need to hurry and everyone was friendly with everyone else. It was a lot more pleasant then the smog covered city they had just escaped from.

"So this is Kalm," Aerith said as she took a step forward. Holding her arms out as if to catch the suns rays in her hands, she inhaled deeply of the villages scent. It was much cleaner here then in Midgar, where the skyline is covered in pollution and the Slums have an overabundance of disease. The great metropolis always felt stifling, the thick and cloying scents leaving an unpleasant feeling as they pervaded the nose. The smog hovering in the air that seemed to choke the life out of you. There was none of that here, however, something Aerith that was quick to comment on, "it's much nicer here then Midgar."

Naruto smiled as he walked over to where she was and stopped on her left, close enough that their shoulders were almost touching. As Aerith's hands fell back to her side, Naruto slid his right hand in her left, allowing his fingers to lace through hers and give them a soft squeeze. When she looked over at him with her head tilted in curiosity, he smiled and said, "I agree," which caused her to smile back.

"Perhaps we should go into the Inn and see if the others are here," Red 13 said, interrupting the pairs moment. Not that they could truly blame him, aside from his statement being correct it was clear that the feline was feeling a bit peeved, no doubt due to the constant displays of affection they had been showing during the course of their trip here.

"Right," Naruto said as he and Aerith began walking towards the Inn. Naruto reached it first, opening the door and holding it for the other two to enter. Aerith did so with a smile, kissing him on the cheek in a single, smooth motion as she walked inside. Red 13 shook his head a bit, but didn't say anything as he padded into the Inn behind the girl and Naruto followed after.

The Inn was rather quaint. The lobby was small, with only a few chairs and couches for the times they had people wanting to relax while waiting for whatever reason. The carpet was a light tan color, soft, yet not very expensive from what Naruto could tell. There were a few paintings hanging around the room, none of them done by notable painters and a few of them were cheap knock offs, but they added something nice nonetheless. A few potted plants were stationed here and there, adding a nice contrast of color to the beige walls. Walking up to the front desk where a young woman was working and said, "Excuse me."

The woman quickly turned to him, a fake smile plastered on her face. However, the moment she got a good look at the man before her, a blush soon spread across her pale cheeks. The young and admittedly decently attractive woman eyed him up and down like a piece of meat, something that made Aerith bristle inwardly, though it was only shown physically by the small frown that adorned her lips.

In most cases, Aerith would have simply ignored the woman's blatant gawking of her boyfriend. In Midgar, Naruto had been the cause of many turned heads by numerous women, much to the boyfriend's of those women's ire.

Not that she couldn't really blame them. Naruto was a very attractive male, gorgeous even. With those deep blue eyes that glowed with power, his shaggy hair that gave him an almost animalistic look, his masculine features and strong build, defined jawline, and of course, those absolutely adorable whisker marks, Naruto was every women's wet dream.

Aerith was being a little biased in her thoughts, she admitted. Tifa seemed more attracted to Cloud than Naruto after all. But she still felt more than a little justified in claiming her boyfriend was the most attractive and sexy man she had ever seen. And she had seen him naked, or nearly naked, several times, so she was positive she knew what she was talking about.

Either way, Aerith couldn't blame the woman before them for ogling Naruto. It bothered her, but if she got upset at every women who ogled the whiskered blond, she'd be upset nearly twenty-four-seven. However, when she saw the woman licking her lips as her eyes trailed down Naruto's lean frame suggestively, stripping her boyfriend with her eyes, Aerith decided it would be perfectly justifiable to let this woman know that Naruto was off-limits.

Acting swiftly, she moved up to his side, wrapping both of her arms around his left and leaning her head on his shoulders. As an unintended side effect, and one Aerith didn't really register, Naruto's arm was being pushed in between her breasts, sending a shiver up his spine.

It also had the woman glaring at Aerith and, were she not as mature as she was, Aerith would have responded by pulling her eyelid down and sticking her tongue out at the woman. Fortunately, she was not that immature, and thus did nothing. Eventually, quickly enough that Naruto only raised an eyebrow when he saw it, the hostess turned her attention back to him, her smile back in place.

"Can I help you, hon?"

Aerith rolled her eyes at what the woman called him. Naruto just ignored it and smiled.

"Yes, we are expecting to meet a group of friends here and were wondering if they already came in," Naruto said, smiling brightly as if there was nothing wrong and Aerith and the hostess had not just given each other a death glare. "There would be three of them, a big man with dark skin and a gun-arm, a blond who looked a lot like me except, shorter and carrying a large sword on his back, and a woman with dark brown hair and red eyes."

"Ah, yes, they've already arrived and said I should send you up as soon as you arrive," the woman told them primly. Apparently Aerith's actions had made it clear that she would not be getting with the blond hunk, and thus had decided to send them on their way as fast as she could. "They are in the central room upstairs at the moment."

"Thank you," Naruto replied, nodding his head towards the woman he was about to leave, when a cry of 'wait!' came from her. Turning back around he asked, "yes?"

"I apologize, but we have a strict no pet policy here. Your... um... whatever it is will have to wait outside."

It took the whiskered shinobi a moment to realize the hostess was talking about Red 13. Aerith took one of her hands from Naruto's arm to stifle the giggle that threatened to burst from her mouth, while Naruto opened his mouth about to respond, but was beaten to the punch by his so called 'pet' who said, "I beg your pardon miss, but I am not his pet, just a fellow companion on his journey until such a time as we part ways."

The reaction Red 13's ability to speak with was most amusing, to say the least. The woman's jaw looked like it had been unhinged as it dropped open and hung there in disbelieve. Her eyes widened to the point where Naruto was almost afraid the orbs inside would simply roll out of her sockets. Aerith seemed to have found the reaction amusing too, because she was shaking with mirth and had tears in her eyes as she tried to keep from laughing. Well, he couldn't quite blame her, it was an amusing sight after all.

Smiling at the woman, Naruto said, "as you can clearly see, Red 13 is not a pet. I believe, unless you have anymore problems, we shall take our leave." He didn't wait for a response as he began walking towards the stairs. Not that he actually expected one to begin with. Naruto doubted the hostess would be capable of speaking for a good while.

As he began moving up the steps, his feline companion moving ahead, the blond began chuckling.

"I don't think you did that on purpose Red, but bravo. I always love a prank well played."

"I did not do it as a prank," Red 13 said, though Naruto thought he detected a hint of amusement in the feline's orbs. Obviously the feline had gotten a kick out of startling the woman, it probably had something to do with his annoyance at being called someone's pet. His toad summons were like that as well. They preferred being called partners, and got upset at anyone and everyone who made the mistake of calling them pets. "However, I am glad you enjoyed the show."

Naruto grinned, but said nothing else.

After making it upstairs, the group noticed that the hall split into a T-junction with several dozen doors on either side. One side ended in a door, while the other led to another set of stairs. The group walked over to the door and, upon opening it, found that it was the room their companions had been waiting for them in.

The enclosed space was set up as a basic lounge with two large leather sofas and a coffee table in between them. A fireplace crackled merrily on one end, the red and yellow flames dancing along the wood that was being used to keep it going, and a billiards table sat at the other of the room. It was, like the rest of the Inn, rather quaint, with very little in the way of entertainment aside from the game table. Still, Naruto doubted the room needed much else given how few people were around to actually use it.

Cloud and Tifa sat one sofa while Barret was sitting in a chair whose back was facing the fireplace. The big man was also the one facing them and so was the first to notice their arrival.

"'Bout damn time you guys showed up!"

Everyone else looked over to see who it was. When they did, Cloud and Tifa seemed to relax. Tifa even blew out a large breath of air like she had been holding her breath in anxiety while waiting for them to make their appearance.

"Sorry, I hadn't quite realized we were on a time schedule," Naruto said as the members of his party walked into the room and towards them. "That and neither Aerith or I have been outside of Midgar. Red 13 has, but he had not been... conscious during the time when Shinra had taken him to Midgar so we had to be a little more careful so we wouldn't get lost."

"Shoulda thought o' that sooner, Mr. Leader!" Barret taunted, however, Naruto did not rise to the bait.

"You're right," he admitted, enjoying the look of surprise on the big man's face as he had no doubt Barret thought he would have tried to come up with some kind of excuse. "I should have taken into account that Red 13 might not have been fully aware of his surroundings when Shinra had taken him from where ever he had been at the time. I'm not perfect, and I do mistakes. However, now that I know that, it won't be a mistake I make twice."

With his peace said, and trying not to let the smirk at getting one over on Barret show on his face, Naruto sat down. The couch was comfortable, he had to admit, and his body seemed to sink into it a bit. It became even more comfortable when, soon after he sat down, Aerith immediately took her place, sitting so close to him that there was not an inch of space between the two. Naruto raised his arm, letting her scoot even further into his side where she proceeded to wrap an arm around his waist and rest her head on his shoulder. His arm came back around her and pulled her a tad closer, enough so that she was practically sitting on him, as it was secured around her shoulder.

The others looked on in some of both amusement and embarrassment, in some cases it was both depending on who. The only one not affected, merely rolling his eyes at seeing them cuddling again, was Red 13, who jumped onto the sofa they had chosen but on the opposite side of the snuggling couple and lay down.

With everyone now together and ready, Naruto decided to start the impromptu planning on what they should do next off. "First off, I believe that, before we decide on what our next move should be, there are some things we all need to know," the whiskered shinobi began. His eyes moved over to Cloud who seemed to realize what his fellow blond wanted. For the benefit of everyone else, Naruto said, "Cloud, during our escape of Shinra Headquarters you told us that the true crises for the Planet was now. Perhaps you could elaborate on what you meant, as well as explain just how Sephiroth is involved in all of this."

Cloud closed his eyes for several seconds, seemingly gathering his courage or mentally preparing himself. Without opening them, he began, saying, "when I was younger, I wanted to be strong like Sephiroth. That was the reason I had joined SOLDIER. After I earned my first-class rank, I ended up working on several missions with Sephiroth and we actually became good friends."

The ex-SOLDIER was forced to stop when Barret interrupted him by saying, "you call that a friend?"

"Sephiroth was different back then," Cloud defended the man who was still considered a legend on Gaia. "He was older then me, and didn't really talk about himself much. However, he had saved my life several times and we had grown to trust each other." He paused, his eyes still closed, then tilted his head to the side, before making a small amendment to his previous statement. "Though I guess it would be more accurate to call us war buddies. Unlike the other members of SOLDIER who were scared stiff of or in awe of him, I simply saw Sepheroth as the person I could count on most to watch my back when things got rough. Everything was going well, I learned a lot during my time serving with him. But then one day, all of that changed..."

Finally, Cloud opened his eyes, surprising everyone when they saw the almost vulnerable look in them. It was clear that these memories were painful for him. In spite of this, the ex-SOLDIER's eyes soon turned to steel as he began speaking again.

"After the war with Wutai, it was SOLDIER's duty to put down any resistance against Shirna.

…

"... That was five years ago."

…

"I was sixteen..."

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><p><strong>Here you go. It's been a while since I've done any updating. Well, it's been a while for me at least. I know some people who haven't updated their stories in over half a year, some even longer than that.<strong>

**To be honest, it really bothers me that only a few of us seem to actually be putting anything out. All the excellent authors seem to have disappeared from FFN, and good stories are now few and far between. I'm very thankful to people like Kenchi for continuing to write in this fanfiction drought. I can only hope others this update as motivation to put up more chapters from their own works.**

**If not, I fear for this world.**


	21. P2 A5 C2: Defined by the Past

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 2: The Search For Sepheroth**

**Arch 5: Exploring The New World**

**Chapter 21: Defined by the Past**

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><p><em>The continuous 'plink, plink' of thousands of tiny raindrops hitting the large Shinra Troop Mobilization truck created a staccato symphony whose only accompaniment was the loud rumbling of the engines and the splashing 'thump' as the vehicle drove along the wet dirt road, sending water and mud flying away from it in all directions.<em>

_Looking out of the opening flaps at the back, one foot placed on the lip of the trunk as he leaned over to survey the scene, Cloud Strife couldn't keep the excited smile off his face. Not because it was raining, he didn't care for the rain one way or the other. No, he was excited because once again he was on another mission, another adventure._

"_It sure is raining hard," Cloud commented before turning around. Within the slightly aging vehicle all of his comrades were sitting on the bolted down boxes of equipment. Three of them were standard Shinra infantrymen, one who was driving the truck, while the other two were sitting in the back with him. The last member, sitting with his arms crossed as he leaned against one of the polls that held up the green canvas top of the truck was none other then Sephiroth, famed hero of the Wutai War and the Legendary SOLDIER. _

_Sephiroth was a very tall man, nearly a head taller than Cloud. His features and skin tone were fair, giving him a slightly effeminate appearance. Not that Cloud or anyone else would say that to his face, not even in jest. The legendary SOLDIER wore __a long black coat with silver pauldrons, black boots and black clothing. The top of his clothing is open to reveal his chest, with his leather SOLDIER suspenders crossed over it. Sephiroth's hair was long and silver with his bangs parted to either side of his face.__ Perhaps his most unusual features were the green cat like irises._

_It was good to be working with Sephiroth again, Cloud reflected. He had not worked with many of the other SOLDIER's, and out of the few that he had, it was the one he had looked up to when deciding that he wanted to join SOLDIER that he trusted the most. He had been through more with Sephiroth then anyone else during his time in SOLDIER. It also didn't hurt that the man was considered the strongest person in SOLDIER ever. Every chance Cloud got to work with the man was just one more step to surpassing him._

_Hey, everyone had a goal, and this was his._

_A slight lurching groan drew his attention towards the Shinra infantryman closest to him. Even though Cloud could not see beyond the man's helmet, what little he did see was looking a tad green. As the truck hit a particularly nasty bump and lurched to the side, the Shinra trooper held a hand to his face, looking like he might toss up his lunch at any moment._

"_Hey, how are you holding up?" asked Cloud as he walked up to the man, placing a hand on the infantryman's shoulder. He became mildly concerned when he saw the man begin dry heaving, as if he were trying to keep his lunch down and had only just succeeded. It wouldn't do for one of their men to get sick on such an important mission. _

_The trooper looked up at him in surprise, before waving him off._

"_I'm all right." _

_The man didn't sound too convincing, especially when they hit another bump and he clutched a hand to his mouth again, while making retching sounds. Cloud winced, but knowing it was likely a matter of pride for the infantryman, decided not to say anything about how he should probably take some medicine for motion sickness._

_Instead, Cloud just gave a nod and said, "I wish I could sympathize, but I've never had motion sickness." _

_The man just nodded his head before trying to keep his lunch in again. Cloud looked at the infantryman for a moment, then sighed as he began pacing back and forth across the hold. It wasn't very large so there was very little space for him to actually pace, but he managed nonetheless. He walked from one end of the six foot space, then spun about face and began walking to the other side near the open flaps. _

_It was a process he began to repeat over and over, and he was sure it was making some of those in the truck with him annoyed, but he simply couldn't help it. Truth be told he was far too excited to just sit still. It was as he was going back towards the back of the truck that another voice spoke up._

"_Hey."_

_Turning, Cloud found himself looking over at Sephiroth, who had finally moved from where he was leaning against the poll. He slid himself across the box he was sitting on, moving towards the edge so he could set his feet on the floor with a dull thump. The greatest SOLDIER to ever exist crossed his arms again and gave Cloud an amused and slightly reproachful look._

"_Settle down."_

_A slightly sheepish Cloud walked back into the center of the hold. He was still, but only for a moment before he began doing squats. A large smile made it's way to his face as he said, "they gave me some new materia to try out. I can't wait to use to them."_

_Sephiroth gave off a very mild chuckle, shaking his head a bit as he looked at Cloud. "Just like a kid," he said, his tone rife with amusement. Despite the composed aura the older male gave off, he seemed to find the other SOLDIER's antics intriguing. Sephiroth was never one for words, nor inane actions like those his counterpart was taking, it just wasn't in his nature. He was always calm, cool, and collected._

_That didn't mean there wasn't something amusing about watching others act like a kid on a sugar high, just that he himself had never been one for acting out._

_Cloud just grinned. He felt he had a right to be excited, and not just because of the new materia he was going to get to try out. Though he did stop doing squads and decided that, if he was going to do something, it might as well be productive. Looking over at Sephiroth again, he asked, "are you going to give us a debriefing?"_

"_...This isn't a typical mission," Sephiroth started, his tone as calm and composed as always. Only someone who knew him well could detect the hint of steel in his voice. It was always there, but tended to vary depending on the situation. Only Cloud could detect it, and from the way the other first-class SOLDIER was speaking, this mission was likely going to be a bit more complicated than some of the other ones they had been on._

"_Good!"_

_An amused smile made it's way to the silver-haired SOLDIER's face._

"_Why do you say that?"_

_A serious expression crossed Cloud's face as he looked away. His eyes found themselves staring out of the truck again, watching the rain pounding against the muddy road they were driving along. It was a melancholic sight, but Cloud didn't let that bother him._

"_I joined SOLDIER so I could be like you. But by the time I made first-class, the war was already over. My big hopes of becoming a hero like you ended with the war. That's why I always sign up whenever there's a big mission. Kind of a way to prove myself." Cloud paused for a moment, before turning back around to look at the only other member of SOLDIER in the truck. "Say, how do you feel MISTER Sephiroth?"_

_Sephiroth raised an eyebrow at the spiky-headed blond. _

"_...I thought you wanted a briefing?" Cloud scratched the back of his head with a slightly sheepish grin while Sephiroth had to roll his eyes. As the blond SOLDIER walked back towards the center of the truck, the silver-haired member of their group began to restart his debriefing again, "our mission is to investigate an old Mako reactor. There have been reports of it Malfunctioning, and producing brutal creature's. First, we'll dispose of those creature's. Then, we'll locate the problem and neutralize it."_

_Cloud frowned, crossing his arms as he looked down at the floor. His left foot tapped lightly against the steel paneling below, creating a dull yet fast-paced thumping sound. After a moment or two, he looked back up at Sephiroth. "Brutal creature's... where?"_

"_The Mako Reactor at Nibelheim."_

"_Nibelheim..." Cloud blinked, as if he truly had not registered the word. After several seconds, his eyes widened in surprise. "That's where I'm from."_

"_Hmm..." Sephiroth looked at the blond speculatively. "... hometown..."_

_The man might have said more, but before he could even open his mouth again, the truck made an abrupt stop as if it had run into something. _

_Cloud stumbled for a moment as the two Shinra infantrymen nearly fell out of their seats. Sephiroth frowned as he was jostled slightly, but reached out with a hand and gripped the box he was sitting on top of. The Shinra trooper driving the car turned, and in a frantic voice said, "Sir...s, something strange just crashed into our truck!"_

_Sephiroth, with a calm that most people would find impossible to achieve in this situation, stood up. His left hand reached out and grabbed his blade, the famous sword, Masamune, a seven foot long Nodachi, from where it was leaned up against the wall. He let the giant longsword rest against his shoulder as he began walking towards the exit with calm, measured steps._

"_That would be our monster."_

_Cloud, after making sure his sword was securely strapped to his back, hurried out after his partner for this mission. He ran towards the back exit, his foot landed on the lip of the truck and he used his momentum and leg strength to push himself out of the vehicle and into the air. Landing on the ground hard, water splashing out in all directions, Cloud pushed himself into a quick run by using the momentum gained from his fall to speed himself up. _

_He caught up with Sephiroth, who was already standing his usual battle stance, Masamune held over his left shoulder in a double-handed grip with the blade slanted at a forty-five degree angle towards the ground._

_The monster they were up against was large. Green scales covered most of it's body, the exception being it's underbelly, which was covered in white leathery flesh. It's body was large, with two large wings sticking out of it's back near the head, yellow leathery wings with green scales covering the claw-like extensions that acted as the wings source of propulsion. The head was sloped, reptilian, with fierce, glowing green irises, sharp saw-like teeth and a pair of horns protruding from either side of it's head. On the other end, a powerful and thick tail swept out of it's back end, jagged ridges that looked like some kind of hack saw protruded from the top, flowing down it's tail which ended in a sharp tip. A pair of large, muscular hind legs extended on either side, and a pair of thick arms came out near it's neck just under the wings. Both were clawed, the sharp looking implements were almost half as large as Cloud. _

_The dragon's overall size was large, nearly fifteen times bigger then the average human, it dwarfed Cloud and Sephiroth, who looked like mere ants in comparison._

_Cloud breathed deeply out of his mouth, blowing out a large, stressed breath as he readied himself for battle. Standing at Sephiroth's side as he got into a wide stance with a two-handed grip on his sword. He eyed his commanding officer out of the corner of his eyes, a question held within them. They were easily noticed by the silver-haired SOLDIER._

"_Cover me."_

_Not even acknowledging the order with a nod, but both knowing what to do, Cloud and Sephiroth charged the great beast before them. They had worked together often enough that neither really needed to speak much in order to convey what they wanted the other to do. It was a source of pride for Cloud as he was the only person who Sephiroth seemed to trust this much._

_Sephiroth was in the lead, his movements swift and precise as he made his way towards their much larger opponent. The dragon saw him, sucked in a large breath, and breathed out a billowing stream of fire. The reddish orange blaze hissed, steam rising from it as the thousands of water molecules hit the intangible force and vaporized in less than an instant._

_Sephiroth did not even pause. He continued charging towards the large monster with a swiftness that could not be found in anyone else. Not even another first-class SOLDIER._

_Just as the large stream of fire reached him, he jumped, soaring high into the air and flying over the attack. Cloud was right behind him and, having seen the attack coming and already knowing the plan, swiftly rolled the side, evading the blast of fire that came at them and scorched the earth. _

_He kipped back onto his feet and continued his charge, distracting the creature while Sephiroth was descending from above where the silver haired man would begin to fight in earnest. _

_The dragon saw him, just as planned. It's eyes swiveled towards the rushing blond. A clawed hand rose up, set to sliced and crush the first-class SOLDIER underneath it and end his life._

_It never happened._

_Like an avenging angle from above, Sephiroth swooped down from the air. His sword, Masamune, slashed out in a bright flash of silver. The movement was so quick that the only thing capable of being seen was the white flash of the blade that came in the form of multiple after images. _

_The dragon roared. A mixture of agony and inhuman rage as it withdrew it's now useless stump of an arm. The missing appendage landed on the ground with a splash of water and a meaty thump. Blood leaked out of the severed end, mixing in with the water that was pooling on the ground and creating a large pool of ever expanding red._

_As Sephiroth landed on the ground with light feet, Cloud was racing towards the angered beast. It saw him, and in it's fury moved to swipe at him with it's tail. Seeing this, the blond-haired first-class SOLDIER jumped. His lower body strength pushed against the earth, sending him rocketing above the swinging tail. He landed on the large appendage, right next to one of the sharp ridges. _

_He turned, his body moving swiftly as he ran up the monsters back. His blade flashed out, slicing through one of it's wings, severing it. As the beast roared out again, it began to shake, trying it's utmost to dislodge him from it's back. Cloud stumbled a bit, but held on by impaling his sword into the massive dragon. This of course, caused it to get even angrier._

_It could not do anything to try and dislodge the man standing on top of it and shoving a sword into it's back, however. It did not even get the opportunity._

_By the time Cloud had sliced off it's wing, Sephiroth was already moving. He sailed towards the creature's head with unprecedented speed. His sword moved as he swung it, the long blade slicing strait through the creature's thick neck. _

_Scales, muscle, and bone were all sliced through as easily as a hot knife through butter. Sailing through the air, Sephiroth landed on the ground a few feet away crouching down, blade arm extended behind him._

_For a moment, nothing happened. The dragon was still. Then, with a slick, sickening sound, the large monsters head fell off it's body, landing on the ground with a disgusting thud. The body soon followed, it's legs and arm giving out. It slumped to the ground with a deafening shake. It's body shuddered. It gave one twitch, then two. And then, it was still._

_Cloud gave a sigh of relief. Much as he enjoyed a challenge, he was always glad when the fighting ended. Pulling his large buster sword out of the now dead dragons body. He grimaced a bit at the blood now covering his blade, it ran down the sides like slick red ink. It would take a good amount of cleaning and polishing to get all of it off, even with the rain water that was pounding the steel blade washing off the worst of it._

_Not bothering to sheath it on his back, Cloud lifted the blade and set the flat end on his shoulders. He walked over to the edge of the beast, taking a single step off and dropping to the ground below. There was a splash, Cloud crouched as several droplets of water rose into the air where his feet touched the ground. Then he stood up, and walked over to where Sephiroth was examining the monsters severed head._

_As Cloud stopped next to the silver-haired SOLDIER, he asked, "what do you think?"_

"_It's definitely stronger then most of the monsters I've faced," Sephiroth determined decisively. Cloud snorted. Stronger it may be, but that didn't stop Sephiroth from killing it with the same ease he did everything else. The silver-haired SOLDIER ignored his comrades amusement for the moment and, with a nod towards the beasts body, he said, "and more ferocious too. It reminded me of some of the monsters I've fought that have the ability to enter a berserker state. They'll attack and attack and attack with no regard to themselves until either they're dead, or their enemy is dead."_

"_It looks like the reports were right, then."_

"_Yes," Sephiroth muttered, an odd tone in his voice. Cloud could not make heads or tails of what it meant. The older SOLDIER's eyes narrowed. "But I suspect there is much more to these monster attacks then the reports said."_

"_What do you mean?"_

_Sephiroth looked up at Cloud, his cat-like irises piercing the blond and holding him in place. In a grave voice, the Legendary SOLDIER said, "I mean that this mission may be a lot more difficult then we originally thought."_

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>"So Sephiroth really is as strong as they say?" spoke Naruto, a questioning tone in his voice. As Cloud and the others looked over to him – Aerith simply raised her head from his shoulder to look at him – he shrugged, and said, "I've heard a lot of stories about Sephiroth when I was pulling up whatever information I could find on Shinra. I heard he was apparently some kind of super SOLDIER whose skill on the battlefield were unmatched and that he had nearly god-like powers."<p>

Cloud gave a nod as he answered the shinobi's question, "Sephiroth's strength is unreal, on a level most could never even fathom. I can guarantee that he is far stronger in reality than any story you would have heard about him."

Naruto frowned, the more he heard about this Sephiroth, the more he was reminded of the stories he had grown up on about the strongest shinobi in his village, Senju Hasharima, the man who had been hailed as the strongest shinobi since the Rikudou Sennin. Like the Shodai Hokage, Sephiroth was almost considered a myth, held up as a figure with near god-like abilities, many people considered him either the greatest hero of all time, or this worlds equivalent of the boogie-man. Of course, given some of the other things he heard about Sephiroth, the man's personality reminded him much more of Uchiha Madara than Senju Hasharima.

He shuddered, hoping to god that this man wasn't as strong as Madara. The revived Uchiha patriarch had been a bitch to fight, and more than once Naruto had nearly been killed by that man.

"So... where do you come in?" asked Aerith, looking at Cloud with curiosity gleaming in her emerald orbs.

"Me?" Cloud blinked for a moment. When Aerith nodded he ran a hand through his hair and said, "I was mesmerized by the way Sephiroth fought."

"..."

Only Naruto noticed the look on Tifa's face as Cloud spoke, though he did not comment on it. Realizing that the ex-SOLDIER was going to begin the story again, Aerith placed her head back on Naruto's shoulder, her hands idly playing with his fingers as she snuggled herself back into him while Cloud continued his story.

"... and then we reached Nibelheim."

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p><em>Nibelheim. It was the absolute essence of a small country town. Surrounded by the high cliffs walls of the mountain range it was built into the side of, the small and quaint little town gave off the feel of an overly friendly and hospitable outpost instead of a town. There were very few buildings, all of them in a very basic Western Style; red tiled roofs, plaster walls with a wooden frame, some were one story high and some had two stories. <em>

_Most of them had a chimney and all of them had pipes that protruded out of the ground coming up and running through the walls. They were water pipes, most likely connected to the small windmill in the center of the town that had a large pipe coming out of the back and was attached to a wooden structure that looked kind of like a very basic version of a water tank. Of all the buildings in sight, most of them appeared to be houses, there was also an Inn, a shop and a blacksmith, but that was about it._

_The most prominent building that could be seen, and the only one that did not look like it truly belonged in the quaint village was the Shinra Manor, a large abandoned mansion on the outskirts of Nibelheim. It was a large structure made out of cement and brick rather then plaster, surrounded by a large earth toned wall with a gate. While the manor's size and presence may have at one point inspired awe in those who gazed upon it, now it simply made people shudder in fear as they wondered about the many strange happenings that might have gone on behind those gates._

_This may have had something to do with the fact that the manor now looked like something straight out of a H.P. Lovecraft novel. The walls of the large three story mansion were cracked and corroded with age and disuse, glass panes so stained you could no longer see through them, showing that no one had been there since it was abandoned so long ago. Everything about the manor screamed dilapidated and unused._

_Some people would simply say it's horror worthy looks screamed haunted._

_As Sephiroth, Cloud and the two Shinra infantrymen who were under their command stopped along the dirt road near the entrance, the silver-haired SOLDIER turned to his partner. _

"_How does it feel?" he asked Cloud with a single eyebrow quirked in curiosity. "It's your first time back to your hometown in a long time, right? So how does it feel?" There was something about the way Sephiroth said that, a slight bitterness to his tone that made Cloud feel a bit concerned. The man's next words confirmed that the greatest SOLDIER was most likely feeling a bit envious. "I wouldn't know since I don't have a hometown..."_

"_Uh... what about family?"_

"_My mother's name is Jenova. She died shortly after I was born. My father..." _

_Cloud winced a bit as the man began to laugh. It wasn't a laughter of joy or any kind of emotions, but a hollow laugh he had heard in those who'd lost something dear to them. He couldn't imagine how tough it must be on Sephiroth to have grown up without a mother. The silver-haired swordsmen shook his head before sighing. _

"_Why am I talking about this?" _

_Getting back into his persona of the man who had been known as the hero of the Wutai War, Sephiroth turned back towards the town. _

"_All right, let's go."_

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>"Yo wait a minute!"<p>

At Barret's interruption, everybody turned to look at the big man who had a large frown marring his face, crinkling his brows and making look like he was scowling. Not that Barret didn't always look like he had a scowl on, but this time it was because the man was obviously in deep thought.

"Isn't that, um...?"

Cloud, Naruto, Aerith and Tifa all stared at Barret as his face turned a slight red from thinking too much. They all couldn't help but wonder if the man might combust from trying to think to hard.

Except for Red 13, he wasn't even paying attention to the large black man, beyond his ears perking up slightly at the man's question.

"The name of Sephiroth's mother..."

The man's face scrunched up even more, making him look constipated. It was a decidedly comical look and Naruto had to bite his lip to keep from making a derogatory remark about it. Thankfully he didn't get the chance to say anything. Before he could make a comment the look on Barret's face cleared up and an expression of realization crossed his face.

"I remember Jenova. That's that damn headless spook livin' in the Shinra buildin'."

"That's right," Cloud said with a nod. Barret began to get mildly freaked out at this particular realization. Naruto and Aerith shared a mild look of alarm. Tifa's eyes had widened at the news and her body had stiffened in her seat. Only Red 13 seemed to be taking the news well. Or at least, that's what it looked like. It was hard to tell with his feline face.

"Barret, would you please calm down and let us hear what Cloud has to say? You can ask questions later."

Barret stopped his wild gesticulating to look at Tifa in surprise.

"Tifa, I was only..."

However, Tifa was ignoring him as she turned to Cloud with a forced smile.

"Okay Cloud, continue."

Aerith smiled as she said, "it's the reunion of childhood pals!"

Cloud smiled.

"I was really surprised with Tifa."

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p><em>'The town was quiet. Everyone must be staying in their houses, afraid to come out because of the monsters. No, maybe they're afraid of us...'<em>

_Cloud stood with Sephiroth just outside of the Inn, a basic two story structure with several windows on the second floor, which extended out passed the first floor like it was a piece of the architecture that got added on as an after thought. It was being held up by a set of wooden beams. _

_The place wasn't much to look at, not when compared to the many other architectural wonders he had seen while working for Shinra, but it was still nice in a homely sort of way that Cloud found soothing. Despite it's lack of distinctive or attractive features, the younger of the two SOLDIER members couldn't help but feel more comfortable here than the other places he had been. Maybe it was something in the air. Or perhaps that was just the sense of nostalgia he felt at being home after so long._

"_We depart for the reactor at dawn. Make sure to get plenty of sleep," Sephiroth said, the tone in his voice letting Cloud know that this was an order. Even when not in actual danger, the man clearly preferred to remain in his 'mission mode' as much as possible. This didn't bother Cloud, that was simply the older man's modus opperandi, and he had long ago learned not to let it get to him. _

_As he gave a small nod, the silver-haired SOLDIER turned his attention to the two infantrymen with them. _

"_Only one of you needs to keep watch. And make sure you get rest as well."_

_Sephiroth made his way towards the door, placing a single hand on one of the double-doors doorknobs. He paused, as if forgetting something. _

"_Ah, that's right..." he muttered, his brow furrowed in realization. Turning around he looked over at Cloud and said, "you have permission to go visit family and friends, if you so wish." With that said, Sephiroth opened the door and made his way inside._

_Cloud stood outside the Inn for several seconds, during which time a young man with brown hair, wearing a white long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up, black suspenders and brown pants with working boots ran towards the Inn. He was holding a camera. _

_When Cloud turned to him the man blinked, looked at the blond's uniform, then smiled. "So it's true, SOLDIER is here. I heard that the hero Sephiroth was coming so I got my camera ready. I want to take a picture of Sephiroth fighting a monster. I want it to be a memorable shot."_

"_Huh, well, good luck with that," Cloud said, resisting the urge to chuckle at the idea of Sephiroth allowing someone to take snapshots of him while he was fighting monsters. While the man was used to getting his picture taken during important events, such as the end of the war with Wutai, no one could exactly call Sephiroth photogenic. The man enjoyed his privacy. More then that, the legendary SOLDIER disliked it when people got in his way, especially when in a combat situation. So yeah, this guy wouldn't be getting his photo from Sephiroth in the middle of a battle anytime soon._

"_Hey? You..." Cloud raised an eyebrow at the man as he scrutinized him. Leaning back, the guy holding the camera nodded to himself. "Are you Cloud?" A mildly surprised nod was his response, and the man said, "really? So that's how it is, huh? Man, Cloud, you've grown up to be a nice looking lad."_

"_Uh... thanks, I guess," Cloud muttered, scratching the back of his head in a mixture of surprise and embarrassment. He honestly hadn't expected anyone to recognize him now that he had grown up. It had been a long time since he had been home after all. And while some things about him remained the same, like his hair, a lot had also changed. _

_Shaking his head, the blond-haired SOLDIER looked at the man and said, "listen, it's still pretty dangerous outside. You might want to head back in."_

"_Ok, ok..." the man sighed, holding up his camera before he began walking back into the house he had come out of. Cloud looked at the door to the Inn, then closed his eyes. He turned, opening his eyes again and surveying the scene of peace and tranquility before him. It seemed that, in spite of the very real threat of monsters, this place still managed to retain it's rugged beauty._

_Eventually Cloud's eyes landed on a very familiar house._

"Maybe I should just skip this part... it has nothing to do with the incident five years ago."

"Yo wait, I wanna hear!"

"Me too! It was a long time since you had seen your parents, right?"

"Tell us more! You saw your family, right?"

"I don't know if you could call it family. My father died when I was still very young. That's why my mom lived in that house alone. Ha... yeah, I saw my mom. My mom... she was a vibrant woman. Hadn't changed at all since the last time I had seen her. But a few days later, she died... But when I saw her, she looked fine."

_Cloud walked up to the door of his house, the one he remembered living in with his mom all those years ago, before he had left on his journey to become a member of SOLDIER. _

_Raising his hand Cloud made to knock on the door when he paused. A feeling of trepidation washed over him as he pondered whether or not what he was about to do was a good idea. Did his mom still live there? If she did, what would she do when she saw him? Would she be happy to see him? Angry that he had been gone for so long without even sending so much as a message to let her know he was safe? There were so many questions, and none of them were questions he had answers to._

_It took a moment, longer than it should have, for Cloud to regain his bearings. He could find himself in the middle of a warzone and be completely unruffled by the death and fighting around him. You could send a hundred monsters after him and he wouldn't even flinch. Yet for some reason the thought of facing his mom after being gone for so long brought up a sense of fear and anxiety he had not felt since he was a boy._

_Despite this, he managed to regain his courage before it could leave him. He knocked on the door. _

"_Coming!" The familiar voice sounded out. It was feminine, slightly worn with age, but still very familiar to him. He knew that voice anywhere._

_The door soon opened to reveal an attractive middle aged woman with vibrant blond hair, and green eyes. She was wearing rather sturdy clothes, brown boots with green pants and a shirt of the same color with the sleeves rolled up. The only other article of clothing she had was a white apron. She blinked at Cloud for several seconds, before her eyes widened._

"_Uh... hey mom..." Cloud said lamely before being engulfed in a hug that only a mother could give. It could almost be considered bone crushing, save for the fact that Cloud, with his Mako reinforced body, was more than capable of withstanding it. A normal person would have probably been crushed though._

"_Oh, welcome home Cloud!" She cried as she held him tightly. Cloud couldn't be sure, since he could not see her face, but from the way she sniffled slightly, he thought she might actually be crying. It made him feel guilty, he never liked hurting those he cared about, and it was even worse since this was his mom. Still, at least she was happy to see him."I missed you so much!"_

_It took a while, but eventually, Cloud returned the woman's hug. The affectionate greeting brought up a slight paradox of emotions with him. On the one hand, a full grown man being hugged and pampered by his mother was highly embarrassing, even if there was no one around right now to see it. This went double for him as he was a member of SOLDIER, and a first-class one at that. _

_On the other, this was his mother, the woman who gave birth to him, raised him, and someone whom he loved deeply. She was one of those people he just couldn't deny when she wanted something. It was the curse all children had for their mother's._

_The hug lasted for nearly a minute before the blond-haired woman, who, despite not sharing any feature's with Cloud except for his narrower chin and hair color, released him._

_Cloud's sigh of relief was cut short as his mom grabbed him by the arms and bodily dragged him into the house. _

"_H-Hey!?" _

_The blond SOLDIER stumbled a bit as the door shut behind him._

"_Come on inside, Cloud," his mother said with a bright smile. Cloud sighed, but a small smile worked it's way to his face regardless. It was good to know that his mother hadn't changed much, if at all. "We can talk once you get all settled in."_

_He nodded to her and took a moment to look around the house. It was small, only a single story with several rooms, a living room, dining room, kitchen, two bed-rooms and two bathrooms. Despite it's relatively little size, the house projected an aura of warmth and comfort that he had not felt in a long time. You simply couldn't get this kind of feeling unless you were home. _

_The flooring was made of a warm wood tiling with a varnished finished. A few pictures lined the walls and nicknacks could be seen here and there, potted plants, a globe and a few other odds and ends. The living room she dragged him to was very sparse, with only a single sofa in it. His mom directed him to stand near the fire place, directly underneath a hearth rug, where she then held him at arms length._

"_Come, come, let me get a good look at you!" _

_There was something mildly mortifying about watching your own mother scrutinizing you. Cloud's mom held her hand in her chin, humming to herself as she looked her son up and down. She made very little noise, only the occasional 'hums' and 'ahs' as she circled the blond SOLDIER before moving to stand in front of him again. After a few seconds, his mother smiled._

"_You look so handsome." Cloud felt an utterly humiliating blush forming on his cheeks. Really, did his mom have to so... motherly? He had nearly forgotten how bad his mom got when she was excited. His attention was snapped out of his embarrassment and back to his mom when she said, "so this is a SOLDIER uniform?"_

_Glad for the change of subject, Cloud gave a small nod. "That's right."_

"_Hmmm... well, I suppose I can see the appeal you boys would have in an outfit like this," she said at last. It was clear to Cloud that his mom didn't quite agree with the SOLDIER apparel. Thankfully, she also didn't seem willing to take issue with it. Shaking her head a smile made it's way to her face. "You've grown up so much. I bet the girls never leave you alone."_

_Cloud felt another mild blush creep up on him at the thought of girls. "Not really," he muttered. Truth be told, he had yet to even go on a single date. There simply hadn't been any time since he'd joined SOLDIER, and he would admit that the thought of actually getting a girlfriend was more intimidating the anything he would ever face working for Shinra._

_His mother, however, didn't seem to be quite finished with this subject, much to his ever growing horror. _

"_I think you should have an older girlfriend, one that'll take care of you. Yes, I think that would be the perfect type for you, one that you can settle down with and start a family. There are a lot of temptations in the big city, you know. Having someone you can rely on would put my mind at east."_

"_I'm... really not interested," Cloud tried, a small grimace on his face. However, this was the wrong thing to say to his mother, who soon began pestering him more and more about how he should get a girlfriend until he told her he had to go meet up with his commander. She had let him, but not without a promise that he would come back soon._

_The Inn looked exactly how he remembered it. With wood tiled floors and a single, red rug near the host counter. There was a small shelf off to the side with a collection of various items, small treasure boxes and several empty clay vases. Pictures hung along the walls, which were being held up by wooden support beams that were clearly visible through some of the walls. Oil lamps located strategically throughout the room cast a warm glow upon the wooden floor and gave the overall scheme a welcoming tone._

_Cloud ignored the two people standing behind the counter, knowing that Sephiroth would have already spoken with these people about acquiring rooms. Making his way upstairs he found his commanding officer on the second floor, staring out of the center window with a contemplative and slightly confused expression._

"_What are you looking at?" he asked as he walked up to the silver-haired man. Sephiroth did not turn from his observations, merely flicked an eye over to Cloud before looking back out the window._

"_The landscape..." he said, his voice low and with an uncertain quality to it. Not at all sounding like the Sephiroth that Cloud had grown used to over the last few years. "I could swear I've seen it before." Cloud frowned for a moment. Shaking his head, Sephiroth craned his neck slightly to look at him, and smoothly changed the subject. "I've hired a guide to take us to the Mako Reactor tomorrow. You should probably get some rest."_

_Nodding, Cloud made his way to one of the rooms in the Inn. Tomorrow their mission would begin. It would best if he were well rested for the trials ahead._

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p><em>The next morning Cloud made his way down the dirt covered road, his booted feet kicked up small clouds of dust as they hit the ground with a dull thud. <em>

_Sephiroth had already been awake by the time he had woken up, and was waiting by the Shinra Mansion. That was not surprising, the man had always been an early bird. When the silver-haired swordsman saw Cloud walking towards them, he said, "once our guide gets here, we're heading out."_

_Cloud gave a small nod. "Right."_

_Just then, a man of medium height with short-cropped brown hair with a red bandana keeping his bangs out of his face, a mustache and brown eyes walked up to them. Cloud couldn't help but find the man wearing black pants, red shirt and dark blue vest with white lining familiar, though he couldn't quite place him._

"_Listen to me, Sephiroth," the man started, his deep, gravely voice also familiar to the blond SOLDIER. The man was speaking in a sort of no nonsense tone that held a touch of worry, though what that worry was about Cloud couldn't even begin to make a guess. That may have been due to his surprise at anyone actually speaking to Sephiroth in such a manner, even the President spoke like he was walking on eggshells when conversing with the intimidating SOLDIER. "In case something happens..."_

"_Trust me," Sephiroth interrupted the man in a calm voice that held a hint of steel. Judging from his tone this conversation had already happened several times before. Cloud would have wondered about that, but decided it was best for him not to know._

_A few moments later the sound of booted feet hitting the dirt at a pace that would be considered a run came to them. Cloud turned and soon found himself stunned. Running towards them was a teenage girl whose beauty was unprecedented. She had straight brown hair that traveled down to mid-back, her front bangs were swept off to one side, hovering just a few centimeters above her right eye. Familiar whiskey-red eyes that he had only seen on one person. Tifa Lockheart._

_Then he realized what she was wearing. Brown cowgirl boots, a short leather skirt that rode up well passed her knees, revealing her beautifil, mile-long legs and toned thighs, with a single belt hanging slanted across it. Her white shirt and the tan vest that she wore over it barely covered anything. Tifa's lithe, flat, toned stomach was lain completely bare before him, tantalizing lightly tanned skin that had a healthy glow about it. There was a large cut out in her shirt, allowing the top of her very ample cleavage to be seen. The outfit was finished with a cowboy hat, though anyone looking at the girl would never register it, busy as they would be staring at her cleavage, trim waste and flat stomach, and legs. _

_Cloud was forced to take a slow, shuddering breath as he closed his eyes and shook his head, willing away any impure thoughts he might have through sheer willpower._

"_Having trouble?"_

_Cloud blinked, his eyes moved over to Sephiroth, who had a very small, almost unnoticeable smirk on his face. Very few ever knew that while the man hailed as SOLDIER's greatest hero was probably one of the most serious and cold people on the planet, he did have a less serious side. Only those he considered friends ever saw it. And right now it looked like it was coming out to play and Cloud was about to get a dose of teasing from the older man._

_Many people who knew Sephiroth would probably shudder at the thought._

_Running a hand through his hair, Cloud sighed and muttered inaudibly under his breath. Sephiroth gave a mild chuckle as Tifa stopped next to them._

"_Don't worry dad, I'll be fine." The girl placed her hands on her hips as she spoke. "I have two men from SOLDIER with me." She then turned to look at Sephiroth and Cloud. "I'm Tifa, nice to meet you."_

_Her voice seemed to snap Cloud of his funk. _

"_Tifa! You're the guide!?"_

_Tifa smiled. "That's right. I just happen to be the number one guide in this town."_

"_I can't get you involved in something like this! It's too dangerous!" _

_Tifa huffed, placing her hands back on her hips and giving him an annoyed expression. Sephiroth shook his head before speaking. _

"_Then there's no problem if you protect her." _

_Cloud frowned as he looked over at his commanding officer, but he knew that the silver-haired SOLDIER was right. Sighing, he nodded, and Sephiroth decided it was time for them to head out. _

"_Let's go."_

_Cloud made to follow Sephiroth with Tifa, however, before the could leave, the man holding the camera that Cloud had met outside of the inn yesterday before his embarrassing meeting with his mom ran up to them._

"_Ummm... Mr. Sephiroth, please let take a picture for a memento!" _

_It was a rare sight to see Sephiroth look mildly annoyed. He turned around, and the man with the camera took this as a bad sign and turned to Tifa. _

"_Hey, Tifa, can you ask him for me to...?"_

_It took some minor convincing, Sephiroth did not want to waste any time, but Cloud thought it would be nice to have a picture for posterity sake. After badgering his superior officer a bit, Sephiroth eventually gave in and he, along with Tifa and Cloud stood before the gates to the Shinra Manor to get their picture taken._

_Tifa stood in the middle of the duo, one hand on her hat and the other on her waist as she gave the camera a large, beautiful smile. Neither Cloud nor Sephiroth smiled, though Cloud did have a smirk on his face as he crossed his arms over his chest. Sephiroth merely stood there with that cold, uninterested look that he always got when he was doing something that he felt he couldn't be bothered to do._

_It was a look he wore almost every time he spoke to President Shinra._

"_Thank you!" The man said happily. He brought his camera away from his eyes and smiled at the group. "I'll give each of you a copy when once I get it developed."_

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p><em>Mount Nibel was a harsh land, desolate, some would say. A barren world incapable of supporting all but the most tenacious of life and the most vicious of creatures. It was a place that very few ventured to and even fewer made it out alive.<em>

_Large, rocky spires rose high into the air. Jagged and deadly, the spires of the mountain twisted and curved into a look that was as monstrous and disturbing as it was awe inspiring. The highest peaks of these sharp looking spires, these colossal abominations of earth that jutted into the air like the claws of the damned as they tried to climb their way out of the deepest recesses of hell stood at heights none could see, their sharp tips hidden within the accumulation of clouds that covered the heavens._

_And it was these peaks they had been forced to climb. Not too long after the small altercation of getting their pictures taken the group of fighters plus one guide headed off. Cloud, Tifa, Sephiroth and the two infantrymen with them made their way down the path that would lead them to Mount Nibel. _

_The chilling mountain air cut through the group as they began to walk along the path to the reactor. Their breath came out in puffs of white. Despite the fact that it was not cold enough to snow, the elevation they were at ensured that those who did not have Mako enhanced bodies would be freezing._

_A quick glance showed Cloud that both Tifa and the infantrymen were feeling the effects of the cold. The trio of non mako enhanced humans were shivering, and their teeth were clacking together so quickly they sounded like the wings of a humming bird._

_It made Cloud question Tifa's choice of clothing. Seriously, who the hell wears such a skimpy outfit when climbing a mountain that was well below thirty degrees?_

_Tifa Lockheart did apparently._

_The trail was harsh, filled with steep climbs and long falls. The path that lay before them wound in such a way that it was impossible to see what lay before you until you got there. Certain parts of the trail that led to the Mako Reactor had long since corroded away, a combination of age and the biting cold winds that howled as nature made it's attempts to impede their progress. Yet despite it all, the small group continued it's hike._

_Sephiroth led them, not much of a surprise, he seemed completely unaffected by his surroundings, though it was obvious to all that he was alert and ready for anything. His footsteps were measured, cautious, yet also calm and unconcerned. Masamune was out and at the ready, resting on his shoulder in a position where he could lash out at any threat that presented itself in a heartbeat. Eyes darted around the area warily, as if expecting an attack at any second._

_The SOLDIER commanders caution was a prudent one, and no one could find fault in the way he had them slowly traveling up the mountain path. So far, aside from problems with the trail itself, they had run into numerous and unsightly beasts, monsters that put many of those Cloud had seen throughout the world to shame. _

_These creatures were not only very numerous but also came in many difference shapes and a variety of sizes, and all of them held appendages that looked incredibly dangerous. They came in bearing claws and fangs and large serrated tails. Some would secrete viscous poisons that dripped from their hands and feet and tails, bubbling green liquid that steamed and hissed and when it hit the ground it would bore a whole straight through the granite. Even a single nick from one of these beasts could prove to be fatal for a normal human. _

_Others held subtler traits, subtler, but no less deadly. It was only thanks to Sephiroth's unwavering strength and prowess that none of them died during the hike so far._

_It also made Cloud both awed and slightly envious. Watching as Sephiroth ran his blade through the many creature's they fought with the same ease he did enemy soldiers, Cloud simply couldn't help but feel some envy. He had always wanted to be like Sephiroth, always strove to become stronger, faster, better. His dream was to one day surpass the man with silver hair. It was times like this that made him realize how far he truly had to go._

_Despite the number of monsters that appeared, Sephiroth and himself were more then enough to deal with them. While Cloud still did not possess the strength of his commanding officer, he was very powerful in his own right. None of the beasts they came across posed much of a threat to the first-class SOLDIER, and they did not run into any real trouble until reaching a bridge._

_It looked old, very old. The ropes were on the verge of rotting, the wood was stained with age and decay. The bridge ascended up towards a cliff that was much higher then the one they were currently on. It was an intimidating sight._

_Tifa moved first, her steps sure and confident even as the wood she was under creaked and groaned from the strain of the added weight. Cloud found himself wanting to scold the girl for her reckless behavior, but was forced to hold his tongue when Tifa turned to look at them and said, "the path get's much harder from here. Follow me."_

_Cloud was the one who went next. Sephiroth seemed to sense his desire to protect the girl and smirked. He came up directly behind the blond SOLDIER, leaving the two infantrymen to take the rear. The trip up the bridge was slow, halting. With each step they took the wooden beams that held them up groaned in protest, and the sound was enough to make everyone feel like the bridge would give way any second now._

_It was as they were nearing the halfway point that they ran into their first snag. A particularly loud creak arose from the bridge. Cloud and Sephiroth had just enough time to widen their eyes as the rope holding up the left side of the bridge gave way with a loud 'snap!'._

_Tifa let out a scream of surprise. She scrambled, her knees crouching down as she grabbed onto the wood board underneath her feet in order to find some kind of purchase so she would not fall off as the bridge began to list to the side. _

_Cloud saw his childhood friend struggling and crouched down. One hand went to firmly grip the wooden board of the bridge, while the other was offered to Tifa._

_Seeing the offered hand, Tifa made to reach it when a second snapping sound soon came to them as the other rope broke under the strain of their combined weight. The bridge began to swing towards the cliff side they had been trying to reach, and several screams from Tifa and the two infantrymen could be heard over the howling winds._

_They began to fall, their purchase on the bridge slipping. Cloud grimaced, and with the last bit of leverage he could find, launched himself at Tifa. He pulled her to him, rotating their bodies until she was on top. It would still hurt her when they hit the bottom, but this would lessen the damage._

_Cloud was unsure whether to be thankful or not when they hit the ground. The pair had ended up smacking into a sloped part of the mountain, which lessened the amount of damage he could have taken, but also caused the two of them to roll and tumbled along the ground. The world moved past them in a blur of rolling sights that nearly made Cloud sick. _

_Tifa pressed her face into his chest as he held her tightly, letting his arms and body take the damage meant for her. Their forward momentum was stopped when Cloud ended up rolling into a small stalactite, smacking with enough enough force to crack the stone._

"_Ooof!"_

_The air was pushed from his lungs, and he could feel his bones creak under force. Thankfully, he had always been durable, even before joining SOLDIER and with Mako enhancing his body, the damage he took was not as severe as it could be. No broken bones for him thank you very much. It still took him a moment to regain his breath, however._

"_Tifa..." Cloud gasped out as he took deep breaths to fill his lungs with oxygen. "You ok?"_

"_I... I think so..." Tifa said. She pushed herself off of Cloud, then made an attempt at standing. Her legs wobbled a bit, and she would have fallen over had Cloud not steadied her after he stood up._

"_You've probably sprained something," Cloud muttered as he pulled out a healing materia. It began to glow a light green. Soon, Cloud directed the energy towards Tifa, allowing it to heal whatever wounds she might have sustained. Because he wasn't sure what was wrong with her, he made the materia's magic more of an area wide effect, rather then focusing on a single injury. It ensured that most, if not all, of her wounds were healed, but left him significantly drained._

_With her injuries healed, Tifa gave him a grateful smile. _

"_Thanks."_

_Cloud smiled as well, and would have responded, but another voice spoke up before he could._

"_It's good to see you two are alive." _

_Turning their heads they saw Sephiroth and one of the infantrymen that had come with them walking towards them. The SOLDIER commander looked at the two of them, his sharp eyes scanning for injuries. _

_When he saw none he gave a nod, then said, "everyone seems to be all right." Turning to Tifa he asked, "is it possible to get back to where we were?"_

"_Yes," Tifa answered, then pointed towards a small cave entrance within the mountain. "There are hundreds of caves within these mountains, and all of them are interconnected, just like an ant farm..." Tifa trailed off as she looked at the other three and noticed something wrong. "It seems were missing someone."_

"_This may sound cold, but we don't have any time to search for him. Since we can no longer go back, we must instead proceed forward." _

_It was clear from the shocked and mortified look on Tifa's face that she did not approve of leaving someone behind. Cloud could understand her feelings, but also knew that Sephiroth was right. And with the amount of monsters in this area, chances were good that he was already dead. Going to help the man now could very well end in their own deaths. Better to keep moving._

_The group began moving again. Entering the cave everyone was surprised to see that it held a light green, ethereal glow about it. Several stalagmites, a few of which were smaller then they were and several that were nearly ten times there size dotted the ground. There were even a few trees. They looked different from those of standard trees, however, as these ones had no leaves. They would have looked dead, were it not for the fact that their bark was a healthy brown color. Dozens passages could be seen within the cave, all of them leading into different areas in a winding and twisting fashion much like that of a maze._

"_What's this?" asked Cloud, his voice echoing off the walls. The acoustics of the cavern caused his voice to bounce several times, each time getting softer and softer, as if the voice was moving farther away._

_Tifa was equally amazed as she said, "a mysteriously glowing cave."_

"_It must be because of the Mako energy," Sephiroth hypothesized. "This mountain is especially abundant in it. That's why the Mako Reactor was built here. Come on."_

_Beginning to move once again, the group walked along the many winding passages of the network of caves. The sounds of their footsteps echoed along the walls, accompanied only by their breathing. As they walked, they found a glow coming from one of the many passages. Stepping through, the Shinra SOLDIERs and their guide came upon an amazing sight._

_The area they were in was flush with life. Large trees and an outgrowth of plants covered the walls. Several giant roots stuck out of the ground and ran in a complicated pattern that could only ever be created from nature. And in the center of the room was a small rocky outcropping surrounded by some kind of clear crystal that looked almost like water. It sparkled and shined brilliantly in the glow that surrounded the cave. Atop of the rock sat a crystal, clear as the sky and glowing a brilliant green. It looked almost alive, wreathed as it was in the strange and unusual energy._

"_What is that?" asked Tifa, her voice not bothering to mask her awe._

"_A Mako fountain," Sephiroth answered, intrigued. "It's a miracle of nature."_

"_It's so beautiful..." Tifa slowly walked over to the fountain, her feet moving cautiously over the large roots so she wouldn't trip. When she got near the fountain she stopped. The brunette stared at the fountain for the longest time, then turned to look at the others. "If the Mako Reactor continues to suck up the energy, this fountain will dry up to."_

_Sephiroth walked up to the Mako fountain, moving to the opposite side of Tifa. He looked at the glowing green crystals that sat atop the rocky formation, studying it intently. "Materia. When you condense Mako energy, materia is produced. It's very rare to see Materia in it's natural state."_

"_Is that why we can use magic when we use materia?" asked Cloud as he walked up to Tifa's side. He was just as amazed by the sight before him as his childhood friend. His eyes never left the glowing crystals._

_He received a funny look from Sephiroth after his question. _

"_You were in SOLDIER and you didn't even know that?" _

_An embarrassed blush came to Cloud's face, but he held firm. Sephiroth smirked, then turned to look back at the Mako fountain as he explained, "The knowledge and wisdom of the ancients is held within the materia. Anyone with this knowledge can freely use the powers of the land and the Planet. That knowledge interacts between ourselves and the Planet, thereby calling up magic... or so they say."_

"_Magic... a mysterious power..." at the murmured words of Cloud, Sephiroth began to laugh heartily. A real laugh, not the cold one he usually had when reveling in the dark humor he so often did. It was rare to hear such laughter from the normally stoic swordsmen. Wondering if he had said something wrong again, the blond SOLDIER asked, "did I say something funny?"_

_Sephiroth shook his head, coughing into his hand as he said, "a man once told me 'I should never use a term as unscientific as mysterious power. It shouldn't even be called magic.' Ha... I still remember how angry he was when I used that term." _

_The grin on Sephiroth's face told Cloud that the memory his commanding officer had called up was a very amusing one. He was curious to know who the silver-haired swordsmen was speaking of._

"_Who was that?"_

"_Hojo of Shinra inc,... an inexperienced man designed to take over the work of a great scientist. He was a walking mass of complexes." _

_It was clear from the way Sephiroth spoke that he did not hold this Hojo character in very high esteem. Cloud could practically feel the dislike coming off of Sephiroth. He was sure there was a story to his commanders dislike of the man, but he knew better then to ask about it. Therefore he kept silent while Sephiroth spoke._

"_A Mako Fountain..." Tifa looked up from where she had been running her hand along the Mako fountain in her slightly bent over position. The cool surface of the stone was smooth to the touch underneath her fingers, almost like glass. Her gaze landed on Sephiroth, head tilted quizzically as she said, "so this is where the knowledge of the ancients is."_

_A nod was her response from Sephiroth. The Legendary commander decided they had dwelt in that spot long enough, and so they once more started on their way. _

_The walk was long, the group moved through the many intersecting caverns and passageways, the slow, steady 'drip, drip' of water as it was cast down from the stalactites above their heads being the only sound to accompany the heavy mix of their footfalls. _

_Several of the passages led to the outside, where they would climb up along a narrow ledge that led them to the mouth of another cavern. During one of those climbs, Tifa let her gaze wander down below their position. The bottom of the mountain wasn't visible from where she stood, hundreds of feet below the ground at the bottom of Mount Nibel was covered in a thick grey mist, obscuring her vision and ensuring she was unable to see the bottom. No one had ever reached the land below, though several had tried to sate their curiosity all had ended up paying the ultimate price for their hubris. Tifa most certainly did not wish to be another victim this mountain took._

"_Try not to look down."_

_She cast her gaze back over to Cloud, who was looking straight at her. Nodding, she once again began moving until they had reached the mouth of another cave, which upon doing so they all entered._

_It wasn't too long after wards that the group found themselves at the entrance to the Mako Reactor. The large structure towered over them, it's height made from a combination of steel and brick, a cylinder with large pipes jutting out of it's sides and into the gravel where the pipes would connect with the rich vein of Mako so it could extract and convert the energy source into something usable. The group of four stood in front of the stairs, looking up at the aged entrance. Tifa gave a sigh of relief._

"_We finally made it. We sure took the long way though." No one commented on her words, but everyone – even Sephiroth – agreed._

_Cloud turned his attention to the young woman who had guided them to this point._

"_Tifa, you'll have to wait here."_

"_What?" Tifa blinked, her mind hearing the words but not registering them for several seconds. When she did the young brunette placed her hands on her hips, shook her head and gave him a small pout, like one might expect from a child. "I'm going inside too! I wanna see!"_

_Cloud shook his head, signaling to that there was no way he could allow her entrance into the reactor. Sephiroth took several steps on the stairway, stopping on the fourth step. He looked up at the Mako Reactor, his voice someone distant as he responded to the girls words. "Only authorized personnel are allowed entrance. This place is full of Shinra's industrial Secrets."_

"_But –"_

_Sephiroth ignored and interrupted the girl as he turned his head to look at the surviving Shinra Infantryman. _

"_Keep the young lady safe."_

_The infantryman nodded his head, then moved towards the front of the stairway as Cloud made to follow Sephiroth. As he reached the doorway he paused. Turning he was just in time to see Tifa stomp her foot on the ground and turn away from the infantryman man with a huff. The girl was clearly not happy about being left out of the loop after all of the trouble she had gone through to guide them here, but then, that was Tifa for you._

_Shaking his head, he followed Sephiroth towards the set of double-doors that the silver-haired swordsman pushed open with a loud groan, the metal of the doors rusted and in obvious need of a good through the hallway that ran along the entrance, Sephiroth and Cloud soon found themselves in the main access chamber of the Mako Reactor. _

_This one was much different from other reactors, consisting of a set of steel grey stairs leading up to a door. Along either side in two rows of three as they ran parallel with the stairs were capsules of some kind. Their shape was roughly rectangular, but with a rounded top. They were embedded into the walls behind them, chords and pipes running through the back. At the front of them was a small glass window, the light blue glow emitting from it cast eery shadows across the room as it mixed in with the dull yellow of the lamps overhead._

_Cloud and Sephiroth walked up the stairs, the dull clanked of booted feet hitting the ground echoed around the room. They stopped, Cloud placing his hands on his hips as he looked at the steel door before him. Up above his head, a sign was engraved on the wall, steel lettering that held a single name._

"_Jenova..." Cloud muttered. "Interesting. The door is... sealed, of course." _

_He turned around, making for the stairs when he stopped, eyes widening. _

"_Jenova!?" _

_He looked back up at the engraved lettering, shock rippling through him like a live wire. His head snapped back to Sephiroth to see the man in question walking down the stairs. He turned, heading for one of the capsules at the second to bottom floor of the steps. Walking up to it, the silver-haired swordsman looked at it, searching for several seconds before he seemed to find what he was looking for._

"_This is the cause of the malfunction," he told Cloud as the blond moved to stand next to him. "This section is broken." He looked over, his green cat-like irises glowing eerily in the lighting. "Cloud, go seal the valve."_

_Cloud gave a nod, moving over to do his task. He knelt down, eyes finding the leaking valve easily enough. As he got to work, his ears just barely picked up Sephiroth's mutter of, "why did it break?" When finished, he stood back up, moving over to Sephiroth, who was gazing into the capsule with a mixed look of disgust and horror. As Cloud moved closer Sephiroth tore his gaze away from whatever was inside and moved to allow the blond to take a closer look._

_When he did, Cloud stumbled back in shock._

"_What is that!?"_

_Inside the capsule was what could only be called a monster. A beast that vaguely resembled a humans, but only in that it was bipedal and had a generally human shaped face. Large bony outcroppings that curved out of it's head and into the mass of flesh that acted similar to hair seconded as eyebrows. It's skin was a raw mass of greyish brown flesh, cracked and scabbed in many places. Tubes of all kinds were sticking out of the creature's body as it floated within the glowing blue water of the capsule._

"_You average SOLDIER members are Mako-infused humans," Sephiroth began speaking, pulling Cloud away from the disturbing sight. He looked over at the silver-haired swordsman who began speaking once again, "You're enhanced, but you're still human. But then," Sephiroth looked back into the capsule, making Cloud do the same. "What are those things? Their Mako energy levels are exponentially higher then yours."_

_Cloud frowned as he placed both hands on either side of the glass, his uneasy eyes peering into the container. "Are they... monsters?"_

_Sephiroth didn't say anything at first. He turned around, walking down the steps before stopping, his back turned to Cloud. _

"_Yes." He answered plainly, and in a pained voice. "The Shinra scientist Hojo was the one who created them." He whirled, turning back to Cloud with a grave look on his face. "Abominations spawned by mako energy... that's what monsters are."_

"_You said 'average' member," Cloud said after a moment. "What about you?" _

_His question seemed to have unexpected results on the SOLDIER commander. Grabbing a hold of his head, Sephiroth spun about, taking one step, then two. His movements were pained, as if he were in some kind of unknown agony. Cloud had never seen him this way, and truth be told, it disturbed him._

"_H-Hey, Sephiroth!" He shouted, startled. Cloud quickly moved over to the man's side, placing a hand on the silver-haired males shoulder in a small effort to support his comrade. However, Sephiroth threw his hand off, moving away from Cloud with staggering footsteps before he came to a stop. The man looked at his hands, eyes flickering with uncertainty._

"_Could it be... that I... was created the same way? Am I the same as these monsters?" Sephiroth's head tilted up, eyes searching for something Cloud could not see, an answer he could not comprehend. Eventually, the silver-haired swordsman began to speak again. "I knew, ever since I was a child... I was not like the others. I knew mine was a special existence. But this... this is not what I meant."_

_Just then one of the capsules burst, steam poured from the cracks between the door, electricity coursing over it's metallic surface as the door sprung open with a hiss. The creature inside went with it, it's body laying on it's side, a disgusting sight. Protrusions and bony outcroppings sprouted from it's body, like discolored mumps that had been left to fester and rot. The lower half of it's body was discolored from the upper, a sick, orangeish brown, the skin was cracked and rotted through to the bone. It was an unpleasant sight, one that took a lot of effort from Cloud to keep from hurling at._

"_Am I... a human being?"_

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>In the real world, everyone in the group was sat around the spiky-headed ex-SOLDIER, enraptured by his tale so far.<p>

Naruto and Aerith had shifted positions a bit. Aerith had moved onto her side so that she was sitting perpendicular to Naruto, that way she could move her legs up and over him, letting the ends of her thighs to the beginning of her calves rest on her blond boyfriends lap.

Her left hand had slid in between his arm and his torso, and was resting on the small of his back, rubbing up and down in a soothing gesture, though for who remained to be seen.

Naruto on the other hand had the arm Aerith was under and moved it so that it was firmly wrapped around her shoulder, his hand touching her torso just a few inches short of the outer swell of her right breast. His other hand had taken to gently rubbing the right side of her hip. To complete the picture of a happy couple, Aerith's head was resting within the crook of Naruto's neck, and his head was tilting slightly, his right cheek resting lightly against her hair.

Red 13 was still laying beside them, hind legs stretched out, front paws crossed over each other in front of him. The sole exception that let people know the feline was still attentive and aware of his surroundings being that his head was lifted up and he was staring at Cloud with a rapt look of interest.

On the other side of things, Barret was easily the one paying the most attention, or at least was looking the most focused of the group. He was sitting in his chair, leaning forward. His hands were gripping the armrests with enough force that every now and then they creaked and groaned in protest, as if gravity was forcing them near the breaking point. His face had gone from it's normally dark complexion to a glaring red, and judging by the set jaw, grit teeth, narrowed eyes and bulging vein on his forehead, it was not in embarrassment.

The only other person of note was Tifa, and as Naruto looked at her whilst she sat next to Cloud, he took a moment to observe her facial expression, silently observing her position and the set of her jaw as she continued listening to the story woven by her childhood friend.

Cloud looked at all of them with an intense expression, his entire demeanor more serious then any had ever seen it, and considering who he and how he usually acted was that was saying a lot. He leaned back on the couch, his arms crossed over his chest and his feet planted firmly on the ground. After a moment or two of silence, in which time he collected his breath from speaking for so long without much pause, he spoke. "I didn't understand what Sephiroth was saying at the time. I was even more surprised by the fact that Shinra was producing these monsters."

Barret growled, his left hand came up and began banging on the soft arm rest, the wood hidden underneath the layer of whatever was being used to fluff the furniture making a dull _thumping _noise as he did so.

"Damn Shinra! The more I hear about 'em, the more I hate 'em!"

It was a sentiment shared by everyone there. Naruto had disliked Shinra the moment they had tried to kidnap Aerith, learning that they were responsible for creating monsters for whatever reason was beyond reprehensible. It reminded him of Orochimaru back at home.

Or Tobi, he did create Zetsu after all.

"... Who would have thought the Mako Reactor held a secret like that," Tifa said after a moments hesitation. Out of everyone else in the group, she seemed to be the most... off, at the moment. It was a subtle thing, but there was something about her that made Naruto sense there was more going on with her then she was letting on. Not that he would force her to say anything, her secrets were her own, and unless she came to him he would leave them be.

"That would explain the increase in the number of monsters recently," Red 13 muttered speculatively. Naruto paused in his slow stroking of Aerith's hip, his gaze moving over to the red furred feline. He only started again when the hand on his girlfriends lap came up and grabbed his and began to make it move against the fabric of her skirt once more.

Getting the hint he began to affectionately run his hand along her again. She immediately relaxed into him once more and he smiled. He had been channeling chakra through her, a small act which he knew generated a mild warmth in others due to his chakras 'personality'. It was something he sometimes did to help sooth his girlfriend when she was agitated.

As he restarted his ministrations, Red 13 spoke again, this time to biggest member of their group. "I think we should listen carefully to Cloud. Don't you think so, Barret?"

A gruff grumble was Barret's response.

"Hmph! Pokin' his nose where it don't belong. Cloud! Why don't you finish that story?"

"Tifa..."

The woman in question – and everyone else in the room minus Naruto who couldn't due to his position – turned to Aerith. It was the first time she had spoken up since her comment about Cloud and Tifa's reunion.

"You were waiting outside then?"

Naruto unobtrusively studied Tifa, cataloging her reaction and placing it in the 'for future reference' section of his mind. She gave a slow, uneasy nod, then, with much hesitation said, "...Yes."

There was a small pause, before Cloud decided to pick up where he left off. "We returned to Nibelheim. Sephiroth confined himself at the Inn. He didn't even try to talk to me."

"Then all of a sudden he just disappeared, right?" said Tifa, interrupting so she could have some input on the parts that she knew.

Cloud gave a nod.

"We found him inside the biggest building in Nibelheim."

"The villagers used to call it Shinra Mansion," Tifa spoke up once more. It seemed she was getting more comfortable with the story. That, or they had just come to a point where she knew just as much about what happened as Cloud did.

Cloud placed a hand under his jaw, his brow furrowed to match the small frown on his face.

"Long ago, people from Shinra used to live in that mansion..."

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p><em>Cloud and the unknown infantryman stepped outside of the Inn, having noticed that Sephiroth had disappeared some time during the night or early this morning. Both almost had a moment of panic when they had realized their commander was missing, but had managed to regain their composure and decided it would be a good idea to search for their wayward companion.<em>

_They looked around for a moment, and immediately spotted the large gathering of people up by the front gates that led to the entrance of Shinra Mansion._

_Moving towards the entrance, Cloud tried to keep up a hurried, yet calm pace as he walked. It wouldn't do to lose his composure and incite panic amongst the civilians. It wouldn't do for anyone to panic, and as the second in command of this mission, it was his responsibility to do what he could to keep things progressing smoothly._

_They moved up a flight of stairs, taking a right at the natural T-bend that would lead them to the manner. Stopping at the front gate as it opened, he took a moment to look at the people around him, taking careful note of their anxious expressions. He gave them a quick nod, before spinning on his heel and walking through the gate. _

_As he moved ever closer to the large and imposing structure, Cloud was reminded once again of just out old this particular piece of architecture was. Shinra Mansion looked like it was literally rotting away, cracks splintered along the walls, large chips of plaster and concrete had fallen away to reveal the wooden framework underneath. Moss was beginning to grow on the bottom of the building, infesting and eating away at the wall. He could see several windows, some cracked, a few tainted with grime and dirt from the many years the place had not been cleaned, while others had shattered completely. It was a testament to just how old the building was, Shinra Mansion had been around long before he had._

_Cloud stopped in front of the door, a large double door made from wood with rusted gold handles. He could see several large scratches that looked like they had been caused by some kind of animal or monster. Rot was staining much of the door a dark blackish color. It was an imposing sight, one that seemed to lend credence to the many horror stories he had been told about this place as a child._

_He placed his hands on the handles and pushed. The door opened with a groan, age rearing it's ugly head once more. Stepping inside, Cloud took the time to shut the door behind him, not paying attention to the squeal as he ensured that the large entrance had clicked shut._

_Turning his attention back to the room around him, Cloud saw that he was in a large room, what he guessed was the main entrance hall. It was a barren room, with very little in the way of furniture though he did spot several lamps and a few tables set against the wall at varying intervals. _

_The inside looked just as old and worn as the outside, worse even. The once white walls were now a drab grey. Stains that varied in color were splattered along the walls, large gouges that looked like someone or something had clawed chunks away with their bare hands made a startling countenance to the splotches of dark coloring. The floor, once a rich crimson carpet was now a matte brown. No longer lustrous and soft, the carpeting was now course and brittle. It seemed to snap and break under his heavy footfalls._

_He noticed several doors that led to various areas of the house, as well as a large sweeping staircase leading up to the balcony. The infantryman he was with stood before it, hands resting lightly at his side, his left foot digging into the carpet, a sign of anxiety. As Cloud made his way towards the blue uniformed Shinra soldier, the infantryman said, "Sephiroth apparently went to the second-floor room on the right."_

"_Lead the way," said Cloud. He received a nod, and the two proceeded up the staircase, which creaked and groaned as they moved. They had to be careful in where the put their foot, it soon became apparent that the stairs were not all that sturdy, as Cloud found out when his left foot suddenly went through the wood he had stepped on. _

_A wince was his response to the loud cracking sound as the rotted wood splintered under his heel. He almost lost his balance, just barely managing to recover by grabbing onto the rail on his left. He gingerly pulled his foot out, and after making sure there was nothing wrong with it, began walking again, albeit much more carefully._

_Locating the second floor room that Sephiroth had disappeared into was not that difficult, they just had to take a right at the top, another right at the T-junction, and then a left. Once there, Cloud located a door that he quickly opened and walked through. He paused only for a moment, eyes gazing around the room, taking note of the dresser with the used candle on it and the book stand with several old, musky tomes arrayed on it's shelf. _

_His eyes then moved to the curved brick wall. It looked out of place, as if there had at one point been a normal connection from one wall to another, then someone had decided to place a large cylindrical interior through it with no regard to aesthetics. It was jutting out of the wall, glaring in it's difference and that made it all the more suspicious._

_Cloud walked up to it, stopping as he noticed the cracks and slight indentation in the center of the brick formation. Several looked like they were out of place, or the bricks had been cut off and a new set replaced them without consideration. Placing his hands on the marked area of difference, he was forced to take a step back when the bricks moved inwards and slid aside to reveal a secret entrance._

_Surprised, but not bothering to show it, Cloud walked through the entrance. He stopped, turning when he heard the door sliding again and saw it shut solidly behind him. He turned back to the immense and began walking down a makeshift stairs. Really, it was just a connection of metal plates that were being held to the wall by several support beams and curved along the wall of the room in a downward spiral. Cloud walked down, reaching a square opening which he stepped out of and entered a cavernous room._

_Though it couldn't really be called a room. It was a vast area of natural rock walls that were dark greyish brown in color. There was a steep drop in the floor, kept away only by the thin railing that trailed along the edge of the chasm. Several stair cases that looked to have been built into the ground itself were sprouting around in multiple areas. From his observations Cloud came to the likely conclusion that this particular area was embedded in the mountain side._

_Survey of the area complete, Cloud began making his way forward. The dull thud of his booted feet echoed ominously off the cavern walls, he could hear nothing save for that and the drip of water from multiple sources. _

_A thin layer of mist clung to the area, it moved and swirled about as he walked through it, like a living, breathing entity it reached out to him, attempting to claim him with it's ghostly grasp. _

_He walked along the cavern, the scene shifting as he entered a new area. This was much larger then the other and being held up by natural support pillars that rose from the earth and embedded themselves into the ceiling. While moving he noticed three doors, one on his left, his right, and the other at the other end of the cavern in front of him._

_It was the one on the opposite end that Cloud made his way to, a large sliding double-door, made from what looked like iron, though that could just be because of the rust that covered it from top to bottom. _

_The door opened with a loud groan of protest, Cloud's muscles strained as he realized that the door was rusted so thoroughly that the rust had gotten into the things joints. It took a lot more effort then he had anticipated to open the door, but in the end he managed._

_He found himself in a hall. There was no phenomenal change in the structure of the area. Different room, same setting. Cloud walked to the end of the hall, bypassing the door on his left as he reached the one wooden door at the other end. _

_It was inside the next room that he found Sephiroth. The silver-haired swordsman was walking across the cracked and worn brick tiling, his movements accompanied by the light click of his boots as they hit the floor. There was a book in his hand as he read out loud to himself._

"_A life form in a state of suspended animation, excavated from a 2,000 year old stratum. Professor Gast named this life form Jenova..."_

_The room Sephiroth was pacing in looked like a combination of ancient library and creepy science lab. Shelves filled with books, vials and glass jars filled with viscious liquid lined the walls. A large desk made of worn wood sat off to the side, books, beakers, Bunsen burners and various jars and vials lay scattered across it's cracked and aged surface. The dull yellow lighting cast an unusual glow along the many liquids being contained with the vials and jars; greens, reds, pinks and oranges were represented in the many different containers, the colorful liquids bubbling with life._

"_Date X/X/XX – Jenova verified as an Ancient..." Sephiroth's mutterings were accompanied by a light rustling as he flipped the page in the book. He scanned the lines before him, absorbing the knowledge contained therein. "Date X/X/XX – Jenova Project approved. Mako Reactor 1 authorized for use._

_Cloud followed silently as Sephiroth walked from the first room, down an open hall connecting to the next room. It was much in the same vein, except where the previous area was filled with shelves and a desk, this one had a large operating table in the center. A dull, rusted operating table with metal straps to contain the people or creature's that lay on it. The dull brown of dried blood lay in spatters across it's surface and the floor around, allowing those with a more vivid imagination to picture the horrible experiments that must have gone on in this room. Various machines beeped and hummed along the walls, large metal pipes extruded from their tops and backs, extending above them and angling into the walls or ceiling. _

"_My mother's name, Jenova... The Jenova Project... Could this be a coincidence...?" _

_They moved further, one silently following the other. Another door was entered, this time leading to a study complete with a desk that looked like it had been expensive at one point, but much like everything else was worn away by time. The walls were made entirely of book shelves, the spines of hundreds, possibly thousands of books lined the room. _

_Sephiroth stopped by the desk, his hands fell to his side, the book contained in his left grasp held in a loose grip. He looked up at the ceiling, eyes closed in anguish. _

"_Professor Gast, why didn't you tell me? Why did you die?"_

_Cloud was shocked, bewildered even. He had never seen Sephiroth in such a sorry state before. The man looked like the world had just been dropped on his shoulders, his posture was now hunched, head bent down, face scrunched in an expression of mixed emotions, none of them good. It was impossible to tell just what the legendary SOLDIER was feeling, but it couldn't be all that good judging from the look on his face._

"_Sephiroth?" Cloud said, coming up behind the silver-haired swordsman._

"_I would like to be alone."_

_Cloud winced at the dead tone in the man's voice. Despite his concern he complied with his commanders request, leaving Sephiroth to his thoughts._

"Sephiroth didn't come out of Shinra Mansion... He continued to read as if possessed by something, and not once, did the light go out in the basement... And on the seventh day..."

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><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p><em>Nibelheim was burning. It had been the crackle of the flames and the acrid smell of smoke as it wafted through the air that had woken him up in the first place. <em>

_Cloud ran out of the Inn only to freeze in shock as he saw the entire town lit aflame. Stores that were once filled with villagers were now crackling as the orange fires consumed them. The roofs of several houses had collapsed, smoke pouring from the interior. The windmill water pump that had once been in the center of the town now lay in ruin, a discarded lump of twisted metal and burning wood that had been thrown into the blacksmith shop._

_As Cloud ran further into the town, his gaze traveled towards the Shinra Mansion, then fell when his eyes spotted Sephiroth. The man stood there, a deranged smile on his face, cat-like eyes lit in glee at the destruction around him. The flames danced and writhed around his figure, like a fallen angel or some kind of demon come to wreck vengeance upon the small hamlet. His eyes, cold green irises with slits for pupils gazed into Cloud's horrified ones. His smile widened, as if something about the younger man's frightened and shocked gaze amused him. Then he turned, walking in a calm, steady gait as he walked into the flames._

"_Sephiroth..." _

_Cloud raised a hand to his face, fingers clenching to form a fist. He closed his eyes, trying to will away the images of his hometown burning, even though he knew it was a pointless endeavor. _

"_How could you..."_

_Flinging the images and his high wire emotions away, Cloud focused on something he knew he could do._

_Following Sephiroth._

_It was clear from the get-go where the man was going. _

_The Nibelheim reactor. Cloud raced towards the reactor with all the speed he could muster. He was thankful that there weren't any monsters, correctly deducing that Sephiroth must killed them all. That made his job easier, and it wasn't long before the first-class SOLDIER had made it to his destination._

_There, Sephiroth was not the only person he found._

_There she was. Tifa Lockhart. She was kneeling on the steel platform ahead. He sighed in relief, at least she was safe. However, something was wrong about her, her face was set in a look of twisted agony, and Cloud realized that the reason for this was the figure laying beneath her. He recognized Tifa's father easily enough, and it was clear from the way the light had gone out of his eyes and the blood leaking from a sword wound in his chest that the man was dead._

_Equally clear was the one who had done it, for Masamune was laying discarded right next to the man._

_Cloud wanted to move, to say something, to go over there and comfort his childhood friend, but for some reason he held himself back. Maybe it was just that he didn't feel he had the right to comfort her after having been gone for so long, or it could have just been that he was frozen in shock by what he was seeing. In the end, it probably didn't matter, at the moment all Cloud could do was watch as the young woman he'd had a huge crush on when they were younger cry her eyes out over her father's still corpse._

_Tears ran down her beautiful face, falling down gracefully down her chin as she leaned over to hold her father close._

_"Papa…"_

_She then fell back, consumed by the weight of her loss. But, even as Cloud watched, her features twisted into anger, eyes began to blaze with an incredible fury, marring her beautiful features. Her loss was replaced by something new. Something terrible._

"_Sephiroth. Sephiroth did this to you, didn't he?"_

_Her brown eyes set forward as she shook uncontrollably. Rage fueled her as she pounded the steel beneath her with her fist._

_"Sephiroth. SOLDIER. Mako Reactors. Shinra. Everything..."_

_She slammed the ground with her fists, bloodying them in her fury._

_"I hate them all!"_

_Rising, she took the sword, dragging it behind her as she walked into the doorway, trembling as she walked into the abyssal darkness yawning open to greet her._

_Cloud took several seconds before he could move, his surprise at seeing Tifa and his anguish at seeing her enraged and pained state freezing him in place. When he did move, the blond SOLDIER shook himself out of his stupor and quickly ran through the entrance into the main room of the reactor. He had to get to Tifa before she ran into Sephiroth, he wouldn't allow her to die like the other villagers._

_There he found Tifa, she was lying on the second and larger of the first two staircases. Her torso was laying across the flat, metal surface while her legs were lying awkwardly against the stairs. However, none of that was important and had been immediately blocked out when he caught sight of the large wound across her chest. _

_He ran over to her side, kneeling down as he checked her wound. It looked bad, the clothing of her shirt and vest had been sliced clean through, not just bearing her chest to the world but also showing off the large gash that ran in between her breasts from the left side of her collar bone, to her right abdomen. The wound was bleeding profusely and Cloud knew that if he didn't do something quickly she would die of blood loss._

_Pulled out his healing materia and was about to get started when Tifa's glazed eyes noticed him and she raised a blood covered hand. "You promised... you promised that you'd come... when I was in trouble..."_

"_That's right," Cloud said as he began to concentrate, he placed his hand and the materia clenched in it over the wound. Slowly, the large slash mark began healing, skin knit together, muscles were reconnected and restored, until there was nothing left of the wound but a very light, almost invisible pink line. It was times like these he was so thankful his body was enhanced by Mako. He would never be able to use Materia this well otherwise. "I promised I'd rescue you and I'm going to do that."_

_With the wound healed and her life no longer in danger, Cloud gently scooped her into his arms, one arm going under her knees, the other around her shoulders. He stood up and carried her over to the nearest capsule. _

_He set her down, leaning her against the capsule and giving her one more once over to make sure she was alright. His hand came up, unbidden and moved a strand of hair away from her faces, fingers just barely grazing her skin. Then he pulled the hand away, stood up, and began walking. He traveled up the stairs and into the room Sephiroth had entered just moments prior to him. _

_The room was dimly lit, but Cloud could see just fine. He waked down a small flight of stairs, stepping onto a curved surface that looked like the top half of a sphere. Six blue cylindrical objects formed a circle around him, three on either side, as they protruded from a small hole within the sphere. In the center was another hole, this one containing a myriad of large wires, with one enormous red tube sticking out of it. The tube extended, curving up towards a cylindrical platform. _

_On that platform stood Sephiroth, his frame blocking the human-like metal figure with wings as arms and only a torso and upper half existing, while the bottom was a contraption of wires pipes and framework that extended into the platform, and was in turn blocking the tube with what looked like a female monster of some kind floating inside of it._

"_Mother," Sephiroth raised his hands above his head, arms spread out as if to embrace the figure before him. "Let's take the Planet together. I... I had an epiphany. Let's go to the Promised Land together."_

"_Sephiroth!" Cloud shouted, rage and sadness mixing in his voice. "My family! My hometown! How could you do this to them!?"_

_Sephiroth just laughed at him. _

"_Ha ha ha ha ha... Mother, they're here again. You should have ruled this Planet. You were stronger, smarter. But then they came. Those inferior dullards. They came and took this Planet away from you. But don't be sad, mother. I am with you now."_

_Sephiroths hands latched on to the mechanical contraptions torso and, with one swift tug, he ripped it away from the base connecting it to the platform. Wires sparked, it's 'hair', made from hundreds upon hundreds of wires were ripped apart in a sea of sparks. Oil leaked from the machines face, like tears and blood pouring from it's eyes and mouth. Sephiroth threw the object away, allowing for an unobstructed view of Jenova._

"_We meet at last, Mother."_

_Jenova, a creature of hideous blue skin that was weathered and worn. It was human in shape, with arms, legs, a face and everything a normal human would have. But that was where the similarities ended. Though the creature possessed an attractive, feminine face, it's skin, particularly along the chest and shoulders looked old and veiny. It's arms were held behind it's back, encased in some kind of rock formation with intricate patterns engraved upon it's surface. A large tube was stuck into it's stomach, the end of which went into the bottom of the test-tube and into the red Sephiroth had walked up to get to the platform. White hair was floating freely, it's head obscured only slightly by the metal 'cap' placed over it, the name Jenova written upon the metal head-gears front._

_Cloud growled as he unsheathed his blade, his glare intensifying as he stared a hole through Sephiroth's back. _

"_What about my sadness!? My friends... family... the sadness of having my hometown taken from me!? It's the same as your sadness!"_

_Sephiroth turned, sword in hand, his gaze amused as he looked at Cloud. _

"_Ha ha ha... my sadness? What do I have to be sad about? I am the Chosen One. I have been chosen to be the leader of this Planet." _

_Both hands enclosed around the sword in a two-handed grip, preparing for battle. Cloud matched his stance with one of his own, knowing that he would need to use every trick he had ever picked up if he hoped to survive this battle._

"_I have orders to take this Planet back from you stupid people for the Cetra. What am I supposed to be sad about?"_

_Cloud looked stunned. He closed his eyes, teeth grit as he tried to comprehend what this man was saying._

"_Sephiroth... I trusted you..." _

_Cloud shook his head, his fierce glare returning. _

"_No! You're not the Sephiroth I used to know!" _

_He got into his stance for battle once again. _

_This would be his ultimate fight. _

_His ultimate challenge._

_One last thought went through his head before the battle began._

_This was not how he had hoped to one day surpass his mentor._

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><p><strong>There you all go. I think this went well for a partial canon rehashing. Hopefully this chapter gave you some insight into Cloud's character.<strong>

**Whoo! The chapter was F'ing long. Seriously, over 17,000 words. I think this is my longest chapter so far.**

**Well, whatever. It's cool. Be sure to let me know what you all think.**


	22. P2 A1 C3: The Search for Sephiroth

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 2: The Search For Sepheroth**

**Arch 5: Exploring The New World**

**Chapter 22: The Search for Sephiroth Begins**

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><p>Everyone stared at Cloud as he took a deep breath, held it for a second, then blew it out. His posture relaxed, body slumping against the couch as his arms uncrossed themselves, and he placed his hands on his knees. He closed his eyes, seemingly in thought, or just not feeling up to looking at the others. The entire telling of what was obviously an emotional story had left him spent.<p>

Several seconds passed in which no one spoke, their minds either too busy digesting the story they had just been told or not working at all as they stared at Cloud, as if expecting him to continue. However, when it became apparent that the blond ex-SOLDIER was finished, Naruto had to ask, "is that it?"

Cloud opened his eyes, then blinked. He turned his head to gaze at his fellow blond quizzically for several seconds, brows furrowed as if he did not understand the context of the question. After a moment or two his expression cleared, his mind registered and formatted the question in a language and context that he could apparently understand, and he gave a terse nod. "Yep, that's it."

"Wait jus' a damn minute!" Barret shouted as he stared at Cloud with an incredulous expression. "Ain't there more?" There had to be more to this story then that. Cloud had just been on the verge of battling it out with the most powerful member of SOLDIER to ever exist, and he had apparently lived to tell the tale. How could the story just end right before something so important?

Cloud was silent for a long while, his body shifted uncomfortably at the stares he was receiving. After several seconds he sighed.

"... I don't remember."

Well that wasn't good. Not being able to remember what happened during and after an epic clash with one of the most powerful entities in the world did not bode well. Did that mean Cloud had some kind of amnesia, or was there something else going on with the buster blade wielding blond? His lack of knowledge left many questions unanswered, and unfortunately it was clear that Cloud could not answer them.

"What happened to Sephiroth?" asked Aerith. It was probably the one question everyone wanted to know. According to Cloud's story, he and Sephiroth had been just about to battle it out in an epic clash for the ages. And yet he didn't include the battle, or it's aftermath, which brought about the most important questions.

How had Cloud survived?

Did he win?

Was Sephiroth still alive? Or had he died that day? And if so, who was the person now wielding Sephiroth's sword?

"In terms of skill, I couldn't have killed him," Cloud admitted with a shrug. It seemed to surprise Barret that the blond SOLDIER would admit to losing so easily, but Naruto merely nodded his head in slight respect. Knowing ones limitations in battle was important, and it was clear that Cloud knew when he was out of his league. The former shinobi of Konoha studied the ex-SOLDIER as said male brought one hand to cup his chin, while the other moved to hold the elbow of the hand on his chin. An expression of deep contemplation crossed his face as he closed his eyes and fell silent.

With Cloud not speaking, Tifa decided to take up this part of the conversation. "Official records state that Sephiroth is dead," she said in a soft voice. Apparently the retelling of her past had just as much, if not an even greater, affect on her than it had on Cloud. She looked up at the others in the room as she continued speaking. "I read it in the newspaper."

"Shinra, Inc. owns the newspaper," Aerith pointed out, reminding them all that the newspaper was full of propaganda espoused by the large company. "You can't rely on that for accurate information." Tifa conceded the other girls point with a shrug. While what the young Ancient said was true, it still left the question of what happened to Sephiroth during that incident.

"...I want to know the truth," Cloud said after a few moments of silence. Everyone's attention was back on him. The ex-SOLDIER looked up into the eyes of the others, an intense gleam in them as he continued. "I want to know what happened back then. I challenged Sephiroth and lived. Why didn't he kill me?"

"I'm alive, too," Tifa said, an obvious statement considering she was there talking to them, but one she thought she would point out.

"Seems like a lot of this doesn't make sense," Aerith's words were something of an understatement. While Cloud's story had answered a lot of questions, it had created even more. There were a lot of holes in his story, inconsistencies that made many wonder about the truth of that day. Aerith frowned as her fingers played with Naruto's hand, which she had grabbed sometime during the telling of Cloud's story. "And what about Jenova? It was in the Shinra building, right?"

Cloud shrugged, that was an easy question to answer. "Shinra shipped it from Nibelheim to Midgar."

"Did someone carry it out after that?" asked Aerith. "It was missing from the Shinra building."

Having been silent throughout most of the story, as well as while after during the conversation that was now taking place, Naruto decided it add his piece. "It's quite possible that Sephiroth was the one who took it." When everyone looked at him, the blond shinobi shrugged, and said, "we all saw his sword impaling the former President Shinra. If he killed the president, then it means he was in the building. And if he was in the building, then it stands to reason that he was the only one who could have logically taken Jenova out. He is also the only one with motivation to do so."

His words were well thought out, and logical. No one could dispute that what he said was the absolute truth. Who else, if not Sephiroth, would have had a reason to take Jenova from the Shinra Headquarters? Who else would want to? Aside from Hojo, his assistance, the higher ups of Shinra and them, no one else had known about Jenova's existence, much less that it had been located inside of Shinra's base of operations. They certainly hadn't taken Jenova, nor did they even want to, much less have a reason to do so. Shinra were the ones who had Jenova shipped to Shinra Headquarters, so they had no reason to take it either, and Naruto highly doubted that any of the assistant lab workers would want to touch that thing with a ten foot pole. That left Sephiroth as the only person who not only had a reason to take Jenova, but _could _have taken her.

"Damn!" Barret's loud voice once again rang through the silence. "Don't none of this make sense!"

He stood up, his body shaking as if someone had just given him several dozen doses of some kind of energy drink. He slammed his fists onto the couch, causing the entire thing to creak and shake, it was a wonder the piece of furniture didn't break under the dark skinned man's assault. He then stood up and glared around the room at the others.

"I'm going, going, going, gone! And I'm leavin' the thinkin' to you!" He ran over to the door, stopped, then turned to them. "Yo, people! Let's get a move on!"

"Now just hold on a second big man," Naruto spoke, getting a growl and a glare from Barret. He shrugged the look off, not at all intimidated by the older male, as he continued. "We can't just up and go without a suitable plan of action first. On top of that, we need to use this chance to rest and recuperate since we haven't had a moment to truly relax since we infiltrated Shinra Headquarters. We won't be leaving for at least the next twelve or fifteen hours."

"What'chu say!?" Barret grudged. He looked at Naruto, his eyes glaring, however, was unable to maintain gazes with the steady and steely look the blond was giving him. Thus he turned to the others. "C'mon guys! Are we jus' gonna stand here while Sephiroth heads for the Promised Land?" When no one spoke, the large black man decided to continue. "I ain't lettin' no Sephiroth or Shinra get to no Promised Land. If they do, then we're all screwed. Y'now what I'm sayin'?"

"Of course we know what you're saying," Naruto started. "However, rushing head first and hoping for the best is not the best way to go about this." He knew this from experience. Back when he was younger, Naruto had always been the kind of person who would rush headlong into any kind of situation no matter how dangerous. While that had worked for a while when he was younger, it had nearly gotten him killed several times when he was older.

And it had gotten several of the people under his command killed before he had come to his senses and began to actually think before acting.

"We have no clue where Sephiroth currently is," Naruto began ticking off reasons for why they should stick around to recover, "therefore we also have no clue where he is headed. We also don't know what Shinra is up to. We need more supplies, we need rest, and above all, we need a destination and a plan. Without these, anything we do will likely end up doing us, and consequently the planet, more harm then good."

Barret growled, and looked like he was going to start shouting again. Thankfully, Cloud beat him to the punch, backing up Naruto's words with ones of his own. "Naruto's right, Barret. Without a solid plan, and a destination in mind we won't do much good."

"You're agreeing with him?" Barret asked in shock. When Cloud shrugged he growled, turned his heated gaze on Naruto and said, "fine! Then what do you propose, Mr. Leader?"

Naruto ignored the jibe as he came up with a basic plan that would do for now. "The first thing we need to do is get some rest. There's no sense in heading out right away if we're too exhausted to fight. We'll book a couple of rooms here for the night, rest up, then tomorrow we'll replenish our supplies. I'll split up what we need to buy and we'll work in groups of two to make the process go faster. But that will come tomorrow. For now, I want someone to go downstairs and rent out our rooms. Barret, since you're already near the door, you can do that."

"Say what!?" Barret groused, his voice an angry howl. "You tryin' to turn me into your poster boy or somethin'? Think you can jus' boss me around cuz you was named leader!?"

"That's not it at all, Barret," Naruto replied tiredly. This man was actually starting to get on his nerves, honestly, hadn't he ever heard of patience? Naruto knew that was kind of like calling the kettle black, but seriously, at least he had learned to be patient eventually. This man still acted like a child. A very spoiled child. "You're already up near the door, and since you seem so restless, I figured you'd want to have something to do so you can stop fidgeting."

"I ain't fidgeting!"

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>It took some coaxing to convince Barret to do as Naruto asked, not to mention the blond shinobi had to point out several times that he <em>was <em>the leader, and that everyone – even Barret himself – had decided on this. Thus, it was his right as leader to decide who did what. So even though Barret did not like it, and despised being forced to do something someone else told him to do, he still ended up going down the hall to pay for their lodgings – with Naruto's money of course.

As the loud and heavy footfalls of the big mans angry stomping disappeared from behind the now closed door, as well as his grumblings about 'blond spiky-headed bastards who were too bossy for their own good', Tifa used that opportunity ask Cloud a question she had been meaning to since the end of his story.

"Cloud," she said softly, getting not only his attention but those of Aerith, Naruto and Red 13 as well. The three non recipients to her words looked over at the busty young woman in curiosity as she spoke. "How bad was I when Sephiroth cut me?"

Cloud seemed surprised by the question for a second, evidenced by the very slight widening of his eyes. They calmed a moment later, a pained look crossing them as he shook his head. "You were in pretty bad shape," he spoke, his face morphing into a grimace. "I honestly didn't think you were going to make it. I... for a moment I thought I had lost you."

"..." Tifa didn't say anything. To the others she seemed to be having mixed emotions. There were so many flashing across her face that even Naruto, who was trained in recognizing and analyzing peoples thoughts based upon their facial expressions, couldn't tell just what the busty brunette was thinking. Still, Cloud's words and the worry his voice held when he spoke brought a smile to the faces of Naruto and Aerith, who shared a knowing look with each other.

Naruto leaned back against the sofa, his arms pulling Aerith from her position with her legs over his lap, to seated directly on his lap. As his arms tightened around her thin waist, the blond let out an content sigh as he placed his chin atop her head. Aerith smiled beneath him, and wiggled herself back a little more so she could get comfortable. She really was enjoying the novel experience of having a boyfriend who she could actually spend more than a few days at a time with. In that regard, Naruto had _him _beat.

"The Ancients... Cetra... Jenova... Sephiroth... there's a lot of things about this Planet that I still have yet to learn."

It was a reminder of just how little Naruto still knew about this world. He had studied what he could from the Shinra archives when he broke in, learned everything he felt would be relevant when it came to protecting Aerith, but even with all of that there was still so much he just didn't know. It was disconcerting, Naruto didn't like having a lack of knowledge these days. Not having the necessary information in critical situations, or ones that had the potential to become critical, could easily get you and those around you killed. It was just unfortunate that there didn't seem to be any way for him to learn what he needed to, for the moment at least.

"Speaking of learning," Tifa started, getting the blond shinobi's attention. "I just realized that we know almost nothing about you. I mean," she began gesturing with her hands, as if trying to emphasize her point. "We know that Cloud and I are childhood friends from Nibelheim, Barret is – was, the leader of the Shinra resistance movement AVALANCHE, Aerith is an Ancient or Cetra, and Red 13 is a former lab experiment."

"I resent being called that..." Red 13 muttered, mostly to himself as it was so soft only Naruto heard him. The blond hid his snicker within a cough.

Tifa continued, having not heard the red furred feline speak. "We know next to nothing about you, except that you look a lot like Cloud, even down to the glowing SOLDIER eyes, yet your not SOLDIER and you have strange materia that I've never seen before and apparently only you can use them."

"So you want to know more about me?" asked Naruto, he didn't really need the clarification, it was more of a knee jerk reaction than anything. Still, he received a nod from everyone sans Aerith, who already knew the most about him. The blond shinobi took a deep breath, in through the nose, out through the mouth. Sighing, he said, "I guess that's a reasonable request."

A part of him was still reluctant to tell them his story, at the same time not doing so would incite distrust, and he wanted that even less. He also felt they deserved to know the truth, especially if they were going to be following his lead from now on.

With those thoughts in mind, Naruto spoke again. "Very well, I shall tell you about myself. However," he looked at the three people in the room who did not know about him, freezing them in place. "What I am about to tell you will not only shock you, but there is a very good chance you will not believe me. My story is even more far-fetched then Cloud's."

Everyone minus Aerith had to raise their eyebrows at that. His story was more far-fetched than Cloud's? Considering what they had learned during the ex-SOLDIER's story that didn't seem possible. Then again, the man before them was an enigma in every sense of the word. If anyone had a story that was more out of this world than Cloud's, it would be Naruto.

Naruto closed his eyes as he tried to decide on just what he should start with. There was a lot to tell and there simply wasn't enough time for them to learn all but the most basic of information. That, and he still wanted to keep some things to himself. He wasn't ready to reveal some of the more important secrets he held.

Opening his eyes again, the blond shinobi began his tale. "To start, I believe I will tell you that the place I come from is not on any of the maps you will find of this world. Mainly because the land I hail from is not on this Planet." He watched the others, registering their actions and expressions carefully. He saw shock, surprise, disbelief, and many other emotions all rolled up into one package on the trio of faces. Even Red 13's normally blank mask was a rictus of emotions. Before they could start asking questions, he continued. "To be honest, I have no clue what my home world is called. My people never named the Planet like you guys have done here. However, the continent I came from was known as the Elemental Nations, and was very similar in culture to your country of Wutai. At least, from what I have heard."

"The Elemental Nations is a large continent which was divided into many smaller countries that were all ruled by a Daimyō, or a feudal lord. There was a time when the continent I was from was in a state of continuous war, dozens of countries fighting against each other for the usual reasons, land, wealth, power, status, resources. This continued for hundreds of years, and as time went by certain clans began to emerge, men and women with unique abilities and powers. They became wandering mercenaries, selling themselves to the highest bidder to help fight their wars. As time passed these warriors would eventually earn the name Shinobi, and were considered the best of the warrior classes."

He paused here, allowing those around him a chance to absorb this knew knowledge. They didn't seem to be taking it very well; Tifa was gaping at him, her eyes wide and staring at him owlishly. She seemed to have entered a state of shock, he wasn't even sure if she was listening anymore. Cloud also looked surprised, but at the very least he managed to keep himself from reacting with anything more than widened eyes. Of the three, Red 13 seemed to be the least affected surprise wise. If anything the feline seemed intrigued by what Naruto was telling them. Though it was hard to tell just what Red 13 was thinking.

"Out of these many clans two rose to true prominence," Naruto continued to lay out the basic knowledge of his world so everyone would have a picture created within their minds. "The Senju clan of the forest and the Uchiha clan. The Senju clan gained their fame in the era before the founding of the hidden villages. Where other clans focused on mastering one particular skill, the Senju were masters in all skills, from ninjutsu, to taijutsu, to genjutsu. Because of this, they were feared as "_the clan with a thousand skills_", which gave them their name Senju.

"The Uchiha Clan was known for their unique bloodline, a powerful eye based ability known as the Sharingan, also known as the copy wheel eye. This powerful bloodline allowed them to analyze and breakdown any fighting style, any technique, and copy it to the letter, thereby turning the abilities of another person back on them.

"With two such powerful clans it was inevitable that a rivalry would develop between the two. When one country hired the Senju, the opposing nation would hire the Uchiha and the two forces clashed on many battlefields over many wars. But one day the two clans met outside of the field of war, both tired of the never ending conflict they signed and forged an alliance, creating the first Ninja village, situated in the Land of Fire. This started a revolution, other clans soon joined their village and before long they became a superpower."

"Afraid of this new alliance other clans came together to form other villages, and the topography of the elemental nations was changed forever. Where once there were hundreds of small countries, now there were only a few dozen, with five in particular standing out. These were the lands of Fire, Wind, Water, Lightning and Earth, who in turn had the five most powerful Ninja villages, known as Leaf, Sand, Mist, Cloud and Rock respectively. Other smaller villages sprouted up in the surrounding countries and the Era of the Ninja was born."

Naruto pointed to his headband, the symbol of the leaf displayed proudly, "I was a Shinobi from Konohagakure no Sato, the Village Hidden in the Leaves. Out of the five main Villages we were the largest and the strongest, and I was one of their most powerful Shinobi, an S-class Jōnin level Shinobi known throughout the land for my unpredictable fighting style and destructive power."

Naruto paused here, letting silence gather in the room as everyone digested his words with varying degrees of shock. Aerith had used the time he spoke to wrap her arms around his neck, and was now running her fingers through his hair – which felt really nice now that he thought about it. The others in the room were quite simply staring at him like he had just told them that Sephiroth was his love child. The wide eyed, jaw dropping expressions their faces held was enough that he began snickering, which consequently brought them out of their shock.

Cloud was the first one to speak. "What do you mean when you say you're not from this world?"

"I mean that I am not from Gaia," Naruto said, shrugging. "To be honest, I don't know exactly how I got here. I was found by Aerith's after, coincidentally enough, crashing through the roof of the Sector Five Slums church and landing in her flowers." At this Aerith, Cloud and Naruto shared a mixture of amused giggling, snorting, and chuckling respectively. Yes, it seemed that the irony was not lost on any of them.

Tifa and Red 13 just looked at them in confusion, not at all getting the inside joke.

"The last thing I remember in my own world was battling against Sasuke, who was once a good friend of mine, a brother in all but blood, before he betrayed my village to gain power from an S-class traitor in the hopes of killing his older brother. I remember how our fight was a trap set for me, set by the man who had manipulated Sasuke into becoming the rage filled being he had become. After that, I remember the man, Obito Uchiha, using one of his Sharingan's specialized techniques on us, feeling like my body was being crushed by thousands upon thousands of boulders. Then I woke up laying in Aerith's bed." Naruto finished speaking with a shrug, "the rest is history."

For a moment the entire room was silent, save the very soft rustling noises that came from Aerith running her fingers through Naruto's hair. The three before him were all still looking quite shell shocked, and why shouldn't they be? It wasn't every day someone tells you they're from another world entirely. Learning something like this takes a great deal of time, effort and gumption to get over, and it was clear that they were not quite there yet.

Still, eventually the three had to get over their shock sometime, lest they end up sitting there for all eternity. Yet even as their bodies began to relax and their brains seemed to kick start, the befuddled expression refused to leave their faces. It would have been funny had the situation not been so serious.

"Is that why you have different materia then us?" asked Tifa, her curiosity coming to the forefront as she began getting over her shock. Not to say she wasn't still surprised, because really, how often was it that you were told your mysterious friend was a powerful warrior from another Planet, or dimension? Never, that's how often. And that was the problem.

"Actually, back where I'm from, my abilities were not materia based," Naruto started, frowning as he tried to decide the best way to explain his powers. Sighing, he decided to just wing it and hope his explanation came out alright. "In the Elemental Nations, jutsu, or magic as you call it here, did not require people to have materia, and as far as I know, materia did not exist where I am from. A shinobi's power comes from an internal source of energy called chakra, which flows through a series of networks called the Chakra Circulatory System, which is similar in many ways to the capillaries that carry blood. Through training and the use of handseals, we are able to perform jutsu, mystical arts ranging from, genjutsu, or the illusionary arts, to ninjutsu, powerful techniques that can do anything from creating physical copies of a person, to controlling the very elements themselves. The amount of techniques a person could learn was unlimited, so long as they were willing to put the time, effort and sweat into learning them."

"Then what about those Materia you use?" It was the first time Red 13 had spoken in a while, and it was clear that the feline was quite curious. "You say that your people don't need materia, but here you are, using materia."

"To be honest, I don't have a true answer about my materia," Naruto said slowly, shrugging a bit with his free shoulder. "When I first came to this world, I had found out when I first tried to train that all of my abilities were... gone."

He had damn near broke down when he had thought that all of his hard earned skills had disappeared. The amount of effort he had put into learning his techniques had been ridiculous, he had broken his body and overloaded his mind more times than he cared to count in the name of progress, and the knowledge that he had lost all of those abilities had nearly made him break down. Grimacing a bit, Naruto returned to the here and now so he could finish his explanation.

"However, that was when I discovered these," summoning one of the materia from it's place within his hip pouch, Naruto pulled out a small orb. It was a light golden color, with red swirls moving around it in an almost liquid fashion. As the three he was explaining this to leaned in to get a better look, Naruto said, "Aerith told me she had found these on my persons when I first came here. My theory is that whatever happened that dragged me from my world to this one changed me, or at least my abilities, in some fundamental way in order to keep this world in balance."

"It could be the Lifestream," Red 13 murmured, catching the attention of the others. When the feline realized everyone else was staring at him, he shrugged and continued. "I was told that the Lifestream, contrary to what humans think, is actually a living entity. It is constantly seeking to keep the world in balance, life and death, growth and decay, birth and rebirth, all things are regulated by the Lifestream's collective consciousness."

Naruto tilted his head, pondering the apparently knowledgeable creature's words, before nodding slowly.

"That would make sense, though I can't prove or disprove such a theory. Still, if the Lifestream is, in fact, a living entity, perhaps the collective consciousness of all things that live and die, it is quite possible it somehow sensed my entrance to this world and tried to match my physiology to the people here."

It would explain why his eyes glowed, perhaps the Lifestream had been unable to change much, and the glowing eyes were the result of his bodies natural energy being pervaded by the Lifestream's energy. That would make sense since the Lifestream and Mako energy were one and the same, though it still didn't explain everything. Unfortunately, the many questions he had would have to wait, because at the moment he did not have the answers, and he was sure that no one else did either.

Everyone remained silent for a good while as they absorbed the blond's words. What he was telling them really did sound far-fetched. A man from another world, capable of using powers that were similar but different to materia without needing the aid of an object like materia. An entire continent of people capable of using powers far beyond their imagination, gained through nothing more than training. It was almost impossible to believe. And yet, for whatever reason, all of them believed that Naruto was being honest. Aside from the general fact that he had no reason to lie to them, the story he wove, the facts he told, they were so intricate and detailed that there was really no way his tale could be a lie. So they really had no choice but to believe him.

And there was something else. Something about the blond that made them not only believe him, but _want_ to believe him. For whatever reason, the other members of the ragtag group wanted to believe that Naruto was being truthful. It was strange, as if the very thought that he might be lying was inconceivable to them. None of them even gave a thought to the fact that he might be lying, and accepted the story he told them as fact.

Even if it did sound like something out a movie.

The silence, which had stretched out for several minutes was broken when Barret came bustling through the door, completely oblivious to the contemplative atmosphere.

"Here!" He grunted, tossing the – now – much smaller bag of gil at Naruto, who caught it with his left hand almost absently. He hadn't even needed to look. "I got yer damn rooms! They only have two beds, so I ended up getting three! That cool with you, Mr. Leader?"

"That's fine, thank you," Naruto replied, not bothering to be goaded by Barret's slight against him being in charge. He knew the man was still sore about not being the leader of their little group of misfits, and probably would be for some time to come. The man would just have to get used to that fact, because if he didn't then Naruto was going to have words with him. Words that would likely involve his fists as well.

And that was never a pleasant experience for anyone.

Dispelling the rest of the atmosphere that Barret had just destroyed with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop, Naruto began speaking. "Since we've got a long journey ahead of us, I think we should all get a good nights rest. Aerith, Tifa, since you two are the only females in our group, you two will be sharing a room with each other. Barret and Red 13 will share a room, and Cloud and I will also share a room. It's been a long day of revelations, so I think it's about time we all get some R and R while we're able."

The small group soon began to leave, Barret was the first out the door. After giving everyone the keys to their respective rooms he left with a grunt, his still angry stomps could be heard from inside the room. Granted, he was always angry so no one really paid him any attention. Tifa and Cloud soon followed, with Red 13 heading out the door after them. Pretty soon, only Naruto and Aerith remained, both still wrapped tightly around each other.

"You should head to your room," Naruto said softly, not really a suggestion but not an order either.

Aerith tilted her head to look up at him, emerald eyes twinkling merrily. "I will, but you have to let go of me before I can do that."

"Ah, right," Naruto looked a tad sheepish as his hold on her loosened, before his arms released her entirely. Rather then get off of him, however, Aerith merely shifted her position. She turned her body around, her legs moving to opposing sides of each other as she straddled his lap. The hands that had been running through his hair stopped to get a firm grip on his locks. She pulled his face forward, directly into hers.

Naruto responded to her kiss. As his lips moved against hers, his hands caressed her hips, moving up and down, back and forth over the fabric of her dress. He would have cursed the fact that she was still wearing a dress, were his mouth not so occupied by Aerith's that he couldn't even think of anything other then the feel of her warm and oh so soft lips against his own.

They did not share in a single kiss. After the first one, which was broken by a need for oxygen, they continued sharing intermittent pecks in between breaths, the last of which Naruto caught again when Aerith came back down for another kiss. As their lips engaged each other once more, Naruto used that moment to slip his tongue in between Aerith's slightly parted mouth. A gasp escaped from the woman, followed by a low mewling noise as the former Konoha shinobi used his tongue to caress her own. Tentative at first, Aerith responded by moving her own vernacular appendage against his.

There was no battle here, no warring against the other, where each of them tried to beat the other through sheer force. This kiss was much different. Unlike most of the kisses he had shared with members of the opposite sex before, Naruto was surprisingly gentle. If one could compare the current lip lock with others, it would be akin to a dance instead of a battle, with the two using light caresses as they moved around each other, instead of battling in a war of dominance.

Yet even though it was different, it was no less passionate. Their breath was hot against each others mouths, their tongue's became slick with the others saliva, and their lips grew slightly puffy due to how hard they were pressing against each other. By the time they were finished, oxygen once more becoming an issue, the pair were light headed and breathing quite heavily.

Aerith pressed her forehead against Naruto's the moment they broke apart, reveling in the simple sensations the action brought and the warm, tingling feeling her lips were still experiencing as a result of their shared intimacy. Aerith marveled at the simple feelings their actions invoked in her. She could still feel his lips as if they were pressed against hers, a phantom caress that was an all together pleasant experience. Perhaps it was because she was still new to this particular experience in passion, but she greatly enjoyed the act of kissing.

Which would explain why she took every conceivable opportunity to commit said act.

She looked at Naruto, whose blue eyes were staring back at her. "You're going to need to get some rest," he said eventually. Despite his words his hands were still on her hips, making it quite clear that he wanted her to head up to her room as much as she wanted to leave his side.

"In a little while," Aerith replied, smiling as she pressed her lips against the side of his mouth in another kiss. Slowly, she removed them just enough that only a centimeter of space was between her mouth and his skin. She moved her face until her lips were hovering above his, her smile still in place. "But for now, I would like to spend some more time exploring my new relationship with my boyfriend."

She didn't give him time to respond with a witty come back, or even an agreement to her words and expressed desire as she descended once again, her mouth sealing itself over his. The rest of their time together was spent with their lips mostly locked together in a gentle embrace. Eventually, they did end up in their respective rooms.

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

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><p>Rufus Shinra sighed as he sat behind his father's desk.<p>

Well, he thought with a chuckle, it _was _his father's desk. Now it was _his _desk. Ah, how he loved the sound of that. It had long since been cleaned up of the blood and useless corpse, the console fixed, and the chair replaced with one he preferred.

Running a hand through his hair, the newly minted President of Shinra Incorporated couldn't keep the hint of aggravation off of his expression. Not even thoughts on his new desk and position kept his agitation at bay.

Things were starting off a lot differently then he had expected. When he'd first gotten news that his old man had died, he had been suitably thrilled. Finally, after all this time he would now be able to take the reigns of the company, now he had the power that his father had once held. Power that, in Rufus' most humble of opinions, was wasted on his old man and his soft policies. Who cares if the reason for his elevated status was not because of one of the many plans he'd concocted over the years to take the reigns, but instead a gift granted on the whims of chance? All that had mattered was that he was here, now, in the position of power that he'd wanted for so many years. And he was damn well going to use that power.

However, due to the circumstances that had led to his father's demise, Rufus now had a handful of problems that needed to be dealt with, but couldn't. It had only been a few hours ago that Shinra Headquarters had finally got up and running again, the damage that had been done to the building a week prior was now fixed. But all that meant was that he was now capable of dealing with the many issues that needed to be dealt with soon, not the least of which was Sephiroth's return from the grave.

Pressing several buttons on his console Rufus pulled up a report on the many overlapping problems that had happened at Shinra HQ that led up to President Shinra's death. He looked through the files, scanning over them just enough to get an idea of what he was dealing with; Sephiroth's return, the escape of the Ancient and the ex-SOLDIER, the destruction of one of the many highways that were used strictly for the Shinra military, many things that had happened within several hours of each other.

First among his issues was Sephiroth, the Legendary SOLDIER and former hero of Shinra. Now a traitor to the company and someone who had gone on a rampage and destroyed Nibelheim years prior. Yes, he would be a problem that would need to be dealt with.

Of course, Sephiroth's return could actually prove to be beneficial. The man was an Ancient, and the Ancients were the ones who would lead humanity to the Promised Land, or so the legends went. Whether the Promised Land truly existed or not was up for debate. However, the chance of acquiring such a place for his own personal use was just too good an opportunity to pass up.

In either case, Sephiroth's return could either be a great opportunity for him, or the man could become a great hindrance. This was something he would need to deal with soon.

His other issue was the other Ancient and that ex-SOLDIER. At most, they were pests, a mere nuisance when compared to the more pressing concerns of Sephiroth's return. But even a pest could become a problem if someone let it.

Pressing down on a few more buttons, he brought up images and video feed of the group as they fought their way out of Shinra Headquarters and escaped. As he did his eyes caught sight of something particularly interesting, the image of a blond with glowing blue eyes and three whisker-like marks on each cheek seemingly defying gravity as he ran along the outer wall of Shinra Headquarters before gutting one of the many war machines Hedeigger created.

"Hmm... I wonder, is he a former member of SOLDIER as well?"

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>The next morning found Naruto Uzumaki waking up early like most days. The sun had barely risen above the mountain range, ensuring that it was still fairly dark outside. As the blond sat up in his bed, he took a moment to take stock of his surroundings. The room he was in was fairly standard, with two beds, a large dresser, a bathroom and a small sitting area with a couch, two chairs and a coffee table. White carpeting was set into the floor, the walls and ceiling were a light beige color. There was truly nothing remarkable about the room.<p>

Rubbing a bit of sleep out of his eyes, the blond's gaze strayed towards the other blond in the room. Cloud was still asleep, as far as he could see. The large buster blade the ex-SOLDIER used rested against the wall next to the bed for easy access. Naruto let out a silent snicker at the thought of his comrade hiding the oversized butcher knife under the pillow like he did with a kunai. It was a ridiculous thought, but amusing nonetheless.

Deciding that he might as well get a start on the day, Naruto pushed the covers off and stood up. It was time he began his daily routine. He couldn't do all of it, of course. Since he had no clue how long this journey would take, and he couldn't afford to truly exhaust himself, he discarded most of his exercises, sticking with just basic warm ups and stretches to get his body pumping and ready to go. A good thing about this was that his exercise was finished so quickly he allowed himself the luxury of an extra long shower. By the time he was done, the sun was already up and Cloud had awoken himself.

"Good, you're awake," Naruto said, snapping Clouds attention from his own daily routine to him. "Listen, I'm going to go get everyone some breakfast. When you head out, go up to the others if they haven't woken up yet and tell them to head over to the upstairs lobby."

"Got i-it..." Cloud finished, yawning a bit towards the end. Naruto figured that was as good an answer as any, and began moving towards the door as his fellow blond headed into the bathroom to take a shower. As the door shut behind him, Naruto was just about to begin walking down the hall when the door on his left – which was subsequently the direction he was taking – opened and Tifa stepped out.

"Oh, Naruto!" Tifa said, surprised to see the blond shinobi up so early. Though the sun had risen it was still around seven o'clock. "Good morning, I didn't realize anyone else was awake at this time."

"I woke up awhile ago," Naruto responded. Yeah, two hours a while ago, but she didn't need to know that. Scratching the back of his head he looked at the busty young woman with a smile. "Cloud woke up as well... though that may have been on account of hearing the shower turning on."

Tifa giggled a bit, the tension from lasts nights discussion and many revelations easing at the simple way the blond spoke. "He does seem to have trouble getting up in the morning. It's normally quite the hassle. Back in Midagar, no one in our group could wake him up... Biggs tried but was hit in the face for his efforts." Naruto noticed the busty female wince at the name of her dead comrade and decided that a change of subject was due.

"Would you like to accompany me while I head to the market to get some breakfast?" asked Naruto, grinning a tad as he held an arm out to her. Tifa looked at it for a moment, a single eyebrow raised, before a sly smile came to her face.

"I hope you're not trying to pick me up," she said lightly. "Your girlfriend won't like that." Despite this she did take his arm, lacing it with her right one.

"There's nothing wrong with two friends heading out together to get breakfast for everyone else," Naruto responded lightly. Tifa smiled, her left hand moving to brush a strand of hair behind her ear.

"No, I suppose not."

They began walking, moving through the hall, down the stairs, across the lobby and out onto the street. With such a small population Kalm was never busy, being so early in the morning it was even less so. In spite of this and the relatively early morning, they managed to find a bakery that had opened just a few moments earlier, if the wonderful scent of freshly baked bread was anything to go by. It was a quaint shop, with warm wood paneling and sparsely placed tables. The store held a generally peaceful atmosphere, the kind that came from being in a village where very little seemed to happen.

"Ah! Good morning, what can I get for you two today?" The clerk, who also looked to be the chef judging from the man's clothing, the white jacket, pants and Toque hat that all chefs wore, said. He was a large man with greying hair, dark eyes and a smile on his chubby face. He must have been working at this for a long time, as the man was currently putting several of the still steaming muffins that must have just finished baking into the glass display case while he greeted them.

"I'd like four of your breakfast platters, a cup of coffee, green tea and..." Naruto trailed off, his gaze traveling over to his female companion. "Tif? Anything you want?"

Tifa shook her head.

"Um... not really, three cups of coffee will do."

"Your order will be up in about half an hour."

The wait would be longer then expected, but that was ok. It was a big order after all. No doubt the man didn't have that much food prepared and needed to make more. That was fine with Naruto. After paying for the food, he and Tifa were given a cup of hot coffee with some cream and sat down at one of the many tables in the small bakery.

Conversation was sparse for the moment. Naruto and Tifa, while friendly acquaintances due to his infrequent visits to the _Seventh Heaven_, had never been that close. That was not to say they had nothing to talk about, but the one thing Naruto wanted to bring up was something he wasn't sure he had any business asking about.

In the end, his curiosity got the better of him and he had to speak. "Hey Tifa," he started, getting the attention of Tifa who turned to him, her steaming cup of coffee held in a two-handed grip as she blew on it. When her red eyes locked onto his, he spoke again. "I've been wanting to ask this since last night..." he paused, frowning, there really was no delicate way to put this, so he just decided to out and say it. "Why were you so surprised by Cloud's story last night?"

Tifa froze. It was a good thing she hadn't been drinking coffee or she might have spit it out, or swallowed it down the wrong pipe and let it scald her lungs. Her eyes widened, not just surprised but almost... frightened? That was truly the only the only way to describe the look on her face. She looked scared, like someone had just found out a dark and shameful secret that she had kept hidden for years and hoped would never see the light of day. She recovered admirably however, the look had only lasted a second, and were it not for the fact that Naruto could read split second movements due to his experience in fast-paced combat, he would have missed it entirely.

Not wanting to sound intrusive, Naruto opted to continue talking in the hopes of explaining his question. "What I mean is... you didn't look surprised by the story itself, but that Cloud was the one telling it. If that makes sense..." He trailed off when he noticed the look he was receiving from Tifa.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Tifa said a little stiffly. It was almost unnoticeable, but her body language had become subtly defensive, guarded. It was clear Naruto had stepped into unwanted territory. He decided that it would be wise to back off, lest he put her even more on the defensive and ruin whatever trust and teamwork they shared.

"I guess not," he sighed, the conversation tapering off and the silence became awkward. It was a relief when, a number of awkward and tense minutes later, the baker told them their food was prepared. The two of them quickly grabbed the to-go bags he had placed their food in, Tifa took the cups that had been placed in the holding tray, carrying it like she did drinks when serving at her bar. Together they walked back to the Inn in silence, where they hurriedly made their way to the upstairs lobby everyone else was waiting in.

"'Bout time you two showed up," Barret gruffed from where he sat, which was exactly where he sat last night. His arms were crossed and his normal hand was tapping irritatedly against the metal of his gun-arm. "We've been waitin' forever."

Naruto rolled his eyes as he and Tifa walked further into the room. "First off, it's only been a little over an hours since we left, and I doubt you've been awake for more then half an hour, so don't make such blatant over exaggerations." Barret puffed up in indignation, nostrils flaring while Aerith covered her hand to hide a giggle and Cloud smirked, both of them seemingly enjoying the mild teasing the big man was getting. Though that could just be due to the fact that it wasn't happening to them. Red 13 merely cracked an eye open as the scent from the food Naruto set down on the table filled the room. "Second, we figured that you guys would appreciate having something to eat before we start the day."

At this the blond opened the bags he was carrying to reveal they were full of baked goods and several containers with various types of spreads. The food was still steaming, showing they had just been baked. Barrets mouth instantly began watering and he forgot all about his blond nemesis as he attacked one of the bags and began tearing into the food with vigor.

Naruto shook his head at the large mans antics, but didn't say anything. Instead he grabbed one of the bags and a couple of the spreads he knew Aerith liked, then sat down next to the girl, greeting her with a smile and a kiss on the cheek.

"Sleep well?" he asked with a grin.

Aerith gave him a teasing smile as she said, "I slept fine, though it would have been better if you were there." Over on the other sofa, Tifa began coughing up the small bite she had taken, a blush staining her cheeks as she sat next to an equally blushing Cloud. The red eyed woman's gaze traveled over to Cloud, then her red cheeks intensifying before she averted her eyes and began biting into her muffin in the hopes it would make her reaction less noticeable.

She should be thankful that Naruto was the only one observant enough to spot her furtive glances towards the only other blond of the group. Or not, since Naruto had stored the small observation under the 'possible blackmail material' section of his mind for later use.

On that note, Tifa felt a cold chill run down her spine for some unforeseeable reason.

The only two who did not react to the young woman's words were Barret, who was simply to busy stuffing his face to pay attention, and Red 13, who did nothing more then spare then a short glance before he went back to eating the bagel that was hanging from his tail. Hey, it wasn't like he actually cared about what they said or did (and they had done plenty on the way here), the feline of the group just didn't understand romantic human relationships enough to be bothered by such things.

Naruto let out a satisfied sigh as he finished eating. Looking at everyone else, he decided now was a good time to get the day started. "While we're satiating our stomachs, I'm going to inform you guys what supplies you'll be assigned to get. Aerith, you and Tifa will be in charge of getting our food supplies. We'll need enough for two groups of three to last for several weeks."

"Sounds easy enough," Aerith said in answer to his words. She looked at Tifa and smiled. "Besides, this will give Tifa and I a chance to do some girl talk." Tifa smiled in response but didn't say anything as her mouth was currently full of banana bread, which she quickly made to swallow so she actually could open her mouth without embarrassing herself.

"Sounds fun."

The pair shared a smile that had both Cloud and Naruto rolling their eyes simultaneously. It must be a blond thing.

"Cloud and Barret, you guys will be in charge of getting normal supplies, tents, camping equipment, sleeping bags for everyone except me," a nudge at his side caused him to look out of the corner of his eyes to see Aerith's expectant gaze. A sheepish grin later and he added, "and Aerith. You should also take this chance to stock up on ammo, explosives, if possible, flash bangs, smoke grenades, and any other weapons you feel may be useful. While you guys do that, Red 13 and I will see if this place has a store that sells cell phones, since we'll need a way to communicate with each other over long distances."

The blond ex-SOLDIER merely gave Naruto a nod of acknowledgment, and Barret's garbled 'yeah, yeah' sounded more like 'mmhp pphh' due to all of the food he had shoved down his gullet. It was disgusting, as the moment the larger man opened his mouth to speak flecks of food flew out, but if nothing else, at least the big mans preoccupation with his food kept him from countermanding the blond's orders.

Gotta be thankful for the little things.

Aerith soon finished her breakfast, having eaten a blueberry muffin and one of the lemon scones. She waited patiently while Tifa finished eating, leaning her head on Naruto's shoulder. Her tea was idly held in both hands. Occasionally she would bring the warm, steaming liquid up to her mouth and take a small sip. She smiled. Green tea imported from Wutai with a drop of honey and a single cube of sugar, just the way she liked it.

By the time Tifa had finished eating, Aerith had drained the cup of tea. The brunette stood up and moved over to the bustier woman, grabbing her by the hand and after pulling her up, began dragging her towards the door.

"H-hey!" Tifa stumbled in surprise, though whether that was surprise at the girl's forceful or surprise at her strength was unknown. Possibly both, Aerith was stronger than she looked, as Naruto could easily attest to. "H-hold up a moment, will you?"

As she gained her bearings Aerith's smiled and said, "hurry up, Tifa. The sooner we can get away from all these men, the sooner we can do our own thing."

As his girlfriend dragged Tifa away, Naruto chuckled. Aerith didn't have any female friends her age, so naturally now that she had one she'd be eager to do some 'girl talk' as she called it, at the first opportunity she got. Of course, knowing Aerith, Tifa would be very hard pressed to get a word in edge wise. That girl had a tendency to ramble...

Oh well, he was sure the two would have fun regardless.

Standing up and stretching out, Naruto looked down at Red 13 as the feline finished up another muffin. He was kind of surprised the... whatever Red 13 was, took to eating human food so well. Granted, he didn't think the feline would like the taste of katnip, but still...

He shrugged it off a moment later as one of those innocuous things that didn't really matter in the end.

"You finished?"

Red 13 looked up at him and gave a nod. "Yes, I am satisfied for now." He sighed. "I normally prefer meat, but this should keep me from hunger for a while if nothing else." Naruto nodded and made a mental note to stock up on lots of steaks for the feline to eat at all times. It wouldn't do for one of them to get disgruntled because of something so petty.

Seeing as they were both ready, Naruto began moving towards the door.

"Alright then, let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Let's see..." Aerith looked around the market to see the various shops that sold edible goods. There was a butchers shop, the bakery, stalls that sold fruits and vegetables, she even saw a store that sold sweets. "We're going to need meat, vegetables, fruits, and... bread, I guess." She soon realized that she was unsure just what they would need for their journey. Having never shopped for groceries before, Aerith didn't really know what they should buy.<p>

Would things like eggs and milk even be warranted given that they would expire within a day if left out of a fridge?

"Hey, Tifa. What do you think we should buy?"

Turning to look at the brunette in the pink dress, Tifa Lockheart pondered the question. Due to her owning a bar, she was much more well versed in what types of food they would need, along with what they could and couldn't bring. "We'll need a lot of meat, preferably dried meat since that lasts longer. Fruits and vegetables as well, they don't need to be refrigerated in order to stay fresh, though they will get old after a couple of days so dried fruits might be the way to go. Water would be a necessity to. We have no clue when or even _if _we'll find a fresh stream that we can drink from. We don't need to buy any dough based items, they'll grow stale within a day or so and we have no clue how long our journey will be until we reach another town."

"Got it!"

They moved through the shops and stalls, buying what was needed. As the food stuffs they bought kept piling up, Aerith found herself very glad that Tifa was far stronger then she looked. Considering they had bought upwards of forty pounds of meat alone. The fighter of the two was capable of carrying it, albeit a bit strained as she hefted the two large, quadruple wrapped sacks of salted pork on her shoulders. Aerith in the meantime carried the fruits and vegetables, which she kept in several paper bags.

While they began walking, Aerith decided it was time for their 'girl talk'. Giving her friend an oh-so-innocent look that really wasn't all that innocent at all, she asked, "so Tifa, what do you think of Cloud?"

"E-Excuse me?" Tifa stuttered, stumbling a bit and almost dropping the meat onto the roadway as Aerith's question took her by surprise. She only barely managed to catch herself. The busty woman straightened up and continued her walk with Aerith, her head turned away from the other girl in an effort to hide the light red staining her cheeks.

"You know, Cloud. What do you think of him?" Aerith repeated. She tilted her head, a knowing smile on her face as she looked at the other woman. "I mean, you two are childhood friends, right? Don't you think it's romantic that you guys met in these circumstances? It's kind of like the tale of the heroic prince coming to his princesses rescue."

"I-I guess..." Tifa murmured, before swiftly continued with an added, "but I don't think of him that way. Cloud and I are just childhood friends. Nothing more, nothing less." Yes, he was just a childhood friend. So what if she had thought about him nearly everyday since they had parted ways when he went to join SOLDIER, it didn't mean anything. At least, that's what she kept telling herself.

Aerith clucked her tongue in obvious disappointment, though it would be clear to anyone who really knew her that she did not believe Tifa's words one bit. Still, she decided not to call her friends bluff right now. It wouldn't do to say something so personal when they had just met a few days ago, especially since more than half of that time they had been running into one disaster after another.

Instead Aerith hummed, her tone one of mild disappointment. "That's too bad. Cloud's kind of cute."

Tifa raised an eyebrow and, in an effort to change the subject, or at least keep the conversation away from her non-relationship relationship with Cloud, asked. "What about you and Naruto? You two are pretty close."

"We've always had a fairly close relationship," Aerith said with a slight smile, her eyes softening a bit as she thought about her and Naruto's strange circumstances. "I actually first met him when he was injured." She withheld her grimace admirably. Injured was a very mild way of putting it. Deaths door would have been more accurate. Shaking the thought off, she continued. "Mom and I bandaged him up, and when he woke up and realized that he was no longer in his... um, world, I decided that he should stay with us."

"So you really believe Naruto's from another world then?" asked Tifa, raising an eyebrow. Even now she was still having trouble coming to terms with the fact that the blond was from another world. It just wasn't something you heard everyday, or at all, really.

"Of course I do," Aerith said with a frown. She looked around at the many buildings they walked passed, contemplating her next words. "When Naruto first arrived here he had no clue where he was, or what Midgar was. Things that everyone should know he didn't, I had to explain a lot of things to him, especially about Shinra and some of the more basic facts of history."

"And you don't think it was just a bad case of amnesia?"

"Amnesia would imply that he has no memory of his past," Aerith countered with a delicate shrug of her shoulders. They were beginning to ache from carrying the bags of food around, she could only imagine how Tifa felt. "Naruto remembers his past, and I doubt what he told me was just a dream. He has far too much knowledge and stories for it to be a mere dream." She knew a lot about his past, from the many pranks he pulled on the village, to the war that had engulfed his continent, and though she was sure there were many more stories he had not shared with her, she had more then enough to know that he was speaking the truth.

"It could be a very elaborate lie," Tifa suggested, though the excuse sounded far-fetched even to her own ears.

"Why would he lie?" asked Aerith. The question was rhetorical, they both knew that Naruto had no point to lie about something like this. "It couldn't be to get close to me. Aside from the fact that he didn't even know who I was, the only people who are interested in me is Shinra, and ever since Naruto found that out, he's done his best to keep them away from me. So he can't be working for them. I can't see any other purpose for him to lie, especially about something like this."

"That's true," Tifa sighed. "Honestly, I can't either, but it's still hard for me to accept that he's from another world entirely. It's like something out of a strange fiction novel."

"It is, isn't it?" Aerith said with a giggle. "But then, when you think about it, isn't what we're doing similar?" When Tifa looked over at her, Aerith smiled, saying, "I mean, here we are, a group of people from different walks of life, banding together to stop a man bent on revenge from destroying the Planet and keeping a large, world-spanning corporation from attaining a land said to bring supreme happiness to everyone for their own greedy purposes. Not something most people do in every day life."

Tifa's laugh was light and tinkling.

"You've got a point. We're about to embark on a journey that's anything but normal."

Which essentially meant she had no room to talk about Naruto being from another world. Really, how could she say that was abnormal when what they were doing was something that most people only ever thought were in movies?

When they reached the Inn, Aerith and Tifa found the others were already finished with their shopping and everything they needed and split between the two groups, with Cloud's party getting more of the equipment since Naruto and Aerith only used a few of the items there, and Red 13 didn't use any. As they got closer they saw Naruto forming a handseal. There was puff of smoke, and it didn't take long for everyone to realize what had just happened.

The fact that all of the supplies that had been given to Naruto were gone made what happened obvious.

Barret grunted a bit, looking at Naruto as he rolled up the scroll enviously. While he wasn't into any of that hocus pocus crap the blond did, he couldn't deny that the ability to seal items into a scroll for easy carrying was dead useful. The fact that the damn spiky-headed blond was the only person who could use this method of storing items was just another sore point for the big man, especially since his party had more supplies to carry.

"We're done with our shopping!" Aerith announced as she and Tifa walked up to the group. She set her bags of groceries down, while Tifa let the two large sacks of meat hit the table they were using with a loud _'thump'_. Cloud raised an eyebrow at the busty young woman, who returned his look with a shrug.

"What? Those things were heavy."

"Awesome," Naruto commented as he got out another scroll and began to work on sealing the groceries. Not only would sealing the edible goods make them easier to carry, but because all sealing scrolls had a stasis seal written on them it ensured that their food would remain edible for years. The rate of deterioration within the scroll was .1% comparatively to the average rate of food stuffs deteriorated in real time. Meaning anything stored within the scroll would remain good for over ten years.

God how he loved sealing scrolls. They were such useful creations.

"Damn spiky-headed bastard, using voodoo to cheat out on carryin' his own shit."

Naruto heard the grumble, looked up, and smiled pleasantly at Barret. "You say something?"

Barret grunted and turned away so as not to let his surprise at the blond hearing him show. Damn that blond bastard had the ears of a wolf!

"Not a damn thang."

Naruto smirked before he finished his preparations and sealed all of his food within the scroll. As he was rolling it up, Tifa made her own comment about his ability.

"Man, that would be so useful. You don't think you could teach me how to use those sealing things, do you?"

"No," Naruto responded, shaking his head. "As far as I know, no one in this world can access their chakra except for when they're forcefully drawing it out via materia. I remember trying to teach Aerith once, and even she couldn't access it." And Aerith was an Ancient. If she couldn't use chakra, then he doubted anyone else would be capable of it. "On top of that, there is a certain age where people's ability to access their chakra becomes set and they are unable to gain control over it after that, which is why my people were trained from a young age."

"Oh..."

Tifa looked a tad depressed by that knowledge. It wasn't surprising. After all, being able to carry around several hundred pounds worth of food, equipment and clothing in a small piece of paper is a very useful ability. Who wouldn't want to be able to do that? Just imagine all the clothes she could carry.

"Though you guys probably don't need all of those supplies," Naruto said after a moment. "If you want, I can seal up what you guys feel you won't need to make carrying the rest easier?"

It was an offer the trio were all to willing to take up. Naruto ended up sealing nearly a third of Barret's ammunition, a number of grenades, and various other items. He gave the scroll to Tifa, who placed it within the front pouch of her backpack. As Tifa was readying herself, ensuring that her straps were secured her pack comfortably, Naruto got her attention.

"What's this?" she asked as he handed her an object. It was a small black object, slightly square shaped, with a round 'joint' at one end. It took her a moment to realize what she was holding. When she did, Tifa looked up at Naruto, a single eyebrow raised in question. "A cell phone?"

"I bought one for everybody." Minus Red 13, but it was like the red furred feline said 'I don't have hands so there was no point in giving me one'. "That way, even if any of you end up separated from your party, you can contact either them or us, and we can all keep in touch in case of emergencies."

"Good idea."

Tifa pocketed the cell phone in her bag, since she doubted it would fit in her tiny pockets and she didn't want it falling out during a battle and breaking on her.

"I also bought you guys a map," Naruto continued. "I gave it to Cloud. Our next destination is a desert located to the south-east of here passed the mountain range. There's a cave that will take us to the other side of the continent. Stop once you reach the dessert, it will be easier if we cross that part together." He had determined that since they did not know where Sephiroth was, nor where he was headed, they would go to the closest large city where they could gather information. According to the map, there was one such city on the other side of the continent.

"Got it," Tifa said. "Alright, I think we're all ready. We'll see you guys later."

Barret grunted his own farewell, hiking up the large tent and sleeping bags that Tifa and Cloud had forced him on. Cloud said nothing, merely gave a nod as he followed the disgruntled Barret out of the town, Tifa walking close behind him.

Naruto watched the trio leave with a shake of his head. Turning his attention back to his two companions, he asked, "you guys ready to head out?"

"Of course," Aerith replied with a smile.

"I have been ready for a while now," Red 13 admitted.

"Right, then let's go."

* * *

><p><strong>LGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"This had better be good, Hojo," Rufus said, his tone containing the hint of a threat. Unlike his old man who had been tolerant of the mad professors antics, the new President of Shinra company had neither the time nor the desire to put up with the deranged man's antics.<p>

Hojo either didn't notice the threat implied in Rufus' voice, or more likely just didn't care. He chuckled, the sound verging more on the insane cackling of a madman than anything else.

"Don't worry, I can assure you this will be well worth your time, _Mr. President._" The 'good doctor' took secret amusement in watching the much younger man bristle at the slightly taunting tone in his voice. It was always entertaining to watch how these executive types reacted to his taunts. Especially when they both knew the newly minted President could not actually do anything to him. Hojo was far too valuable to throw away now that he was the only scientist with enough knowledge and know how on matters of Mako enhancements and Jenova.

They were walking down a narrow, dimly lit corridor far below Shinra Headquarters. The only light available were the few, sparsely space overhead lights that swung from a thick wire. Their dim yellow glow cast harsh shadows along their forms and the walls and distorted the shadows of the two men as they walked. Pipes ran overhead, a crisscrossing intersection that looked more like a maze then anything else. The sound of their footsteps was accompanied only by the _'buzz' _of some of the lights that needed to be replaced.

"You said you had a way to track Sephiroth," Rufus continued, trying not to let the man get to him. Much as he may hate all of the current department heads, he also couldn't just fire them. They were, unfortunately, the only people capable of doing their job so far. This went double for Hojo, with the death of Professor Gast and Hollinder, he was the only mind brilliant enough to head the Science Department.

"Indeed, I did," Hojo replied, sounding happy, ecstatic even. "I am quite proud of this particular creation. In fact, I'm beginning to consider it my greatest work since Sephiroth." Rufus raised an eyebrow at the bold claim, but didn't respond verbally.

They soon reached the end of the hall, where Hojo slid his key card through a slot on the left side of the door. With a slight hiss of hydrolics, the door slid open vertically to reveal a small room. Machines whirred and blinked in a mixture of multi-colored lights; reds and yellows intermixed and melded with blues and greens to create a medley of unusual contrasting colors. There was no set pattern to their blinking, at least as far as Rufus could see. They blinked on and off with no set preset or pattern.

Several screens were located strategically over various equipment, each one showing data on different, yet interconnected subjects. One side was covered by a glass panel to show that this room opened up into a larger room, with a door on the left leading into that expanded space beyond the panel.

The lights overhead turned on as they stepped into the room. Hojo directed Rufus' attention to the large test tube in the center of the large room, where a lone figure floated inside.

"Behold, my latest and greatest creation," Hojo said, grandly gesturing at the figure in the tank.

"A man?" said Rufus, incredulity clear in his tone. "You made all this fuss about a person?"

The being inside of the tank did not look like anything special, just your regular human being. Granted, he was more muscular than the average male, but it wasn't like the figure floating before them had anything many of Shinra's soldiers did not.

Rufus whirled on Hojo, a glare etched upon his face.

"If this is your idea of a joke..."

"I assure you this is no joke, and that is not just any ordinary human being," Hojo cackled. He went up to one of the monitors and began typing away at the keyboard, pulling up the data he wanted. "Prelimary scans of the subject shows that his basic structure is vastly superior to an ordinary humans. His musculature and bones are denser, stronger, and more capable of giving and receiving punishment, even more so then the average first-class SOLDIER. I ran him through several basic simulations on combat situations as well, and I believe the results speak for themselves."

Hojo brought up a video feed showing the many simulations he had run the man through. Despite himself, Rufus was impressed.

"His combat prowess is quite incredible," the newly minted President of Shinra Incorporated admitted, if a bit reluctantly.

"It is, isn't it?" Hojo had a somewhat mocking smile twisting his features. "But that's not all, a more thorough scan of the man's body showed something else that is far more interesting."

Getting rid of the video feed, the mad professor brought up another scan, this one showing a 'map' of the human body. At least it looked like a map. It showed what looked like an average human body as a simple black silhouette. Running along the body were what looked like blue veins. They started out from the center of the body and spread out in an interweaving pattern that was more convoluted than even the densest highways in Midgar.

"You see these blue lines here? It represents a network much like the circulatory system that carries blood through the body. However, this particular network carries not blood, but energy that is very similar if not nearly identical to that of the lifestream."

"So you're saying that this man possesses some kind of powerful energy that normal humans do not?" asked Rufus.

"No, all humans have this network," Hojo admitted with an uncaring shrug. "However, our scans of other humans never turned it up until now. We couldn't find it in other people because compared to his the others are miniscule."

He pulled up another image to go alongside the first one. Both were human, within the outline of their bodies several lines of various color crisscrossed over each other. Hojo directed the presidents eyes to the blue one, which was significantly larger on the left image then the right.

"This image is the one of my new subject, the one on the right is a scan we had of Sephiroth that we managed to reconfigure after our discovery of this new energy network. You see how his is much larger than Sephiroth's. My theory is that this network is what allows us to use materia. When we cast an attack with materia, it draws upon this network to use it. From our scans we can see that this mans network is larger, and therefore more powerful then Sephiroth's." The images disappeared and Hojo added, "of course, Sephiroth's scan was from when he was first made, so it's likely that his power has grown since then. From what I can see, this system is much like a muscle, the more you use it, the stronger it becomes."

"Then this man is more powerful than Sephiroth?"

"Possibly," Hojo rubbed his chin in thought. "It is unknown just how powerful Sephiroth was before his supposed death. Who knows how strong he is now. But this man is nearly three times more powerful then either Genisis Rhapsodos and Angeal Hewley."

"I see." Rufus was definitely intrigued by this new specimen of Hojo's. A being with more power then two of the strongest first-class SOLDIERs to exist would definitely be a boon. However...

"Have you placed the proper restrains so that he shows obedience?"

"All of his memories about his past life have been erased," Hojo assured him. "And I have gone a step further by implanting new ones into him. As far as he is concerned he has been trained by Shinra to be in SOLDIER ever since his birth."

Rufus nodded his head in approval. "Good, and how will he help us in finding Sephiroth?"

"Much like one of my other experiments, he has been injected with genes from both Jenova and Sephiroth," Hojo started. Again typing away on his keyboard the mad professor called up several images of what looked like various strands of DNA. "They have taken to him quite well, far better then any of my other experiments. This has also had the unexpected side effect of increasing his power exponentially from what it initially was. When we release him, the genes from Sephiroth will call to him and direct him towards Sephiroth's location."

"Good," Rufus said with a decisive nod. It seemed coming to speak with this man wasn't a waste after all. "Have him prepped to leave within two days time. I'll be leaving then and would like him to come with me so that I might see him in action."

"Of course, President Rufus," Hojo replied, cackling at the end.

The President of Shinra shook his head, nose crinkling in disgust at the man's voice. Turning on his heels, Rufus Shinra briskly walked out of the room. His cackling diminishing, the insane professor looked at the being floating in the test tube.

"He he he, my precious specimen. Soon, you shall be unleashed upon the world."

As if hearing Hojo's voice, the being within the tank opened it's. Three tomoe rotated hypnotically within a pair of blood red irises.

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><p><strong>So here we are. Now you all know what happened to Sasuke. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave your review on the way out and have a pleasant day.<strong>


	23. PA2 A5 C4: Monsters, Caves, and Shinra

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 2: The Search For Sepheroth**

**Arch 5: Exploring The New World**

**Chapter 23: Monsters, Caves and Shinra, oh my!**

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><p>"So this is the desert we need to cross?" Naruto asked no one in particular as he looked out across the desert the six of them were standing before.<p>

It had been three days since Naruto, Aerith and Red 13 had split up from Barret, Cloud and Tifa, and in those three days the two groups had traversed the great planes of the continent they were located in.

Not much had happened in that time. The planes, while host to quite a few of Kalm Fangs, were still fairly safe. This particular breed wasn't nearly as vicious as the ones found around Midgar. Naruto assumed that was because the harsher environment near the large metropolitan city caused them to evolve differently than their calmer counterparts. Unlike the dead zone that was the surrounding valley of Midgar, the Calm Plains, as they were generally called, was lush and not lacking in natural resources like small animals that could be eaten for sustenance. Naturally, the Kalm Fangs living in the plans did not need to attack everything they saw due to not lacking such resources.

That did not mean that Naruto and the others had not been forced into battle. There had been several occasions where a small pack of the beasts had spotted them and tried to make them their next meal. Thankfully for both groups, they were more than capable of defending themselves.

The two groups had eventually rejoined each other, meeting up at the edge of the desert they needed to cross in order to reach the cavernous tunnel that was supposed to lead them to the other side of the continent.

It always amazed Naruto when he saw how abruptly environments could change. The area around him was still green, for the most part, yet the gradation from green grass to sand was quickly apparent as the closer they got to the desert the less grass and plant life there was to see.

Another clear indicator that they were about to enter the desert was the weather. The Calm Plains always had very mild weather, cool and often with a slight breeze. Standing this close to the entrance of the desert, Naruto felt the sweltering heat that people often associated with such sandy terrain.

"It looks like it..."

Aerith too, was looking out at the great sea of sand, an uncertain expression on her face. Naruto could only imagine that she was probably thinking the same thing he was.

"Damn, that is one big ass desert," Barret grunted as he also looked out at the large desert. The group containing Cloud, Barret and Tifa had met up with them just a few short hours ago. Now that they were far from Midgar and Shinra's main center of influence, there was no need for them to travel in small groups anymore.

Naruto sighed as he looked out at the large stretch of sand that lay before them. It was, like all the deserts he had seen, devoid of all life with nary a plant or animal to be seen. A stark contrast from the plains they had left behind. Large mounds made up of hundreds of billions, maybe even trillions grains of sand stretched as far as the eye could see. The place did not look very pleasant. Not one bit.

None of them were looking forward to crossing this plot of land.

"Well," Naruto looked back at those around him. Cloud and Tifa were standing off to the side, not close enough for anyone to assume there was something between them, but closer than they were to Barret, who was standing about a meter away from them. Red XIII was sitting on his haunches less than two feet from him, wearing a look that said he was not pleased about where their adventure had taken them. Probably worried about sand getting on his fur coat. And as always, Aerith was standing right next to him, giving him the smile he had come to love so much, even if it was obvious she was not looking forward to walking through a desert. "We'd better get going. The longer we wait, the worse this trip will be."

As everyone began following the blond former shinobi of Konohagakure, Barrett grunted.

"Don't know 'bout you guys, but I sure as hell ain't looking forward to walkin' through this damned desert."

No one said anything to that. They agreed with him.

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><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

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><p>"Ugh, god damn this heat..."<p>

"Shut up, Barrett!" Tifa snapped sharply as she turned to glare at the man, finally having enough of him whining. They had not been in this desert long, but his complaints were already starting to get on her nerves. It was even worse than when they had been climbing those stairs at the Shinra Headquarters!

As much as she respected him for his strength, her former leader could be such a man child at times. It didn't help that she was just as hot and sweaty as he was.

"We're all well aware of how hot it is! None of us need to hear about it to!"

It was easy for everyone else to see where the busty young woman was coming from. They had been walking for at least an hour now and already they were drenched in sweat, literally soaked in it. Their clothes were matted to their bodies, their skin felt like it was being cooked in a crock pot, and that was not even going into the sand that was clung to their skin whenever it was kicked up from their walking. All in all, they looked like a rather miserable group.

"Jus' sayin'," a somewhat sullen looking Barrett mumbled, more to himself than anyone else. Tifa just rolled her eyes.

Naruto frowned as he ignored the bickering behind him. Squinting his eyes and placing a hand against his forehead to act as a visor against the suns rays as they beat down on him, the whisker marked blond tried to look around and see if there was any end in sight to the vast stretch of desert.

There wasn't. All he could see stretching out in every direction was sand, sand and more sand. The mountains in the distance were so far away they might as well not even be there.

"I think we may have moved a bit prematurely," Naruto said with a bit of disappointment. It was more of disappointment in himself for making such a hasty decision to move as soon as possible. This oversight on his part was now coming back to bite them in the rear. "It may have been better if we decided to start moving at night."

Naruto had heard tell from Gara and Temari that desert nights could get awfully cold. There was some kind of scientific reason they were like that. Something about how deserts didn't have much in the way of moisture and thus couldn't retain heat when the sun went down or something like that. He hadn't paid much attention to their explanation, it wasn't that important.

What was important, at least now that he was walking through a desert, was that it was supposed to be dramatically colder at night. While Naruto was not sure if frigid cold weather was any better than this heat, he was more than willing to take his chance now.

"Then ya should have told us that before we started walkin' through this damn desert!" Was Barret's angry shout. This time, he actually did have something of a reason to be. Still, Naruto couldn't help but bristle at the man's unreasonable assumption that he should have thought of this before hand.

"Oh, how terrible of me, so sorry," Naruto's voice was filled with sarcasm. "I should have known better, really. I mean, it's not like I've ever actually been through that many desert climates before. Of course I should know this stuff before hand." Sarcasm gave way to a nasty glare. "I'm not perfect you know. Everyone makes mistakes, including me."

"Well then ya should have asked me ta lead!" Barret clenched the fingers of his non gun arm into a fist. "I would have known what to do. I lived in a desert for years."

"Then you should have suggested that before we started off!" Naruto suddenly found himself angry at the man before him. How dare he question him when he hadn't even made the suggestion before they started off! It was like the man had done it on purpose just so that he could have en excuse to bitch and complain about how he should be their leader. "Unlike you, I'm actually willing to listen to the advise of others. Had you mentioned this before hand, I would have taken it under advisement and followed your suggestion. Don't go blaming your lack of initiative on me!"

"Why you!"

Barret immediately began marching over towards Naruto. It was clear he intended on settling this argument with his fists.

Which was probably why Cloud and Tifa quickly grabbed him by the arms and held him back. They had no doubt seen the murderous intent in the dark skinned man's eyes.

"Calm down, Barret," Tifa grunted as she struggled to keep the man from moving. It was even harder than she had thought it would be. Way harder. Dear Gaia, it felt like she was trying to wrangle a bull with her bare hands! He must weight a tone! And the brute strength he possessed was just unreal! "The heat's getting to you, causing to be unreasonable! Now settle down!"

"Lemme go! Let! Me! Go! I gotta teach that bastard a lesson!" Barret shouted as he strained against the two. However, not even his superior strength could match those of one of the strongest female martial artists and a former first class member of SOLDIER at the same time. Sure, they may have been tired and weak from the heat and walking, but then again, so was Barrett.

Naruto continued to glare at the dark skinned man with the gun grafted onto his arm, and he probably would have done so for some time to come, but that was before a soft, if slightly sweaty, hand came to rest on the nape of his neck and begin messaging it.

Turning his head to see Aerith standing next to him, he sent her a questioning look, which she just responded to with a smile.

"I think this heat is beginning to effect you as well," she said, even as her ministrations relaxed Naruto's tense muscles. All the muscles within his neck and back began to untense under the tender ministrations of his girlfriend. "It's beginning to effect all of us, making us act irrationally. I think it might be best if we calm down and take a small break before starting again."

"You may be right," Naruto sighed. He then turned to the man still being held back by a huffing and puffing Cloud and Tifa as they struggled to hold him back form attacking the blond shinobi. "Barret!" Said man glared at him, but he didn't care. If it took him being the bigger man and apologizing to get the much larger male to calm down then so be it. "Look, I wanted to say I'm – what the hell is that rumbling?"

Everyone halted what they were doing at those words. It was only then that they noticed Naruto was right. There was indeed a loud rumbling noise, and it was causing the earth around them to vibrate and shake quite a bit. The granules of sand were jumping and skittering about erratically like a gold digger was sifting through it.

It was also coming from beneath their feet.

Naruto's eyes widened.

"Shit! Everybody scramble!"

Following his words with actions, Naruto wrapped his arm around a surprised Aerith's waist and wasted no time in jumping backwards and into the air. Around him, the others followed suit; Cloud made an almost mirror action as Naruto, Tifa began taking giant leaps backwards, Barret scrambled to get away from where he had been and Red XIII began racing across the desert sand with his powerful legs.

And just in time too, for the moment they had moved, a large, ugly looking thing burst forth from the sands with a loud roar. It was easily the most hideous creature any of them had ever seen, and considering Naruto had fought that monstrosity Hojo had sicked on him that was saying something.

The creature before them was large, easily six times larger than the monster he had fought within Shinra's main headquarters. Towering at a height that was even taller than a Bijuu, the giant cylindrical shaped monster looked like an inch worm with a giant gaping maw for a mouth. A maw that just so happened to have sixteen layers of sharp, serrated teeth.

It's body was a mass of slimy, gelatinous looking skin that undulated and jiggled as it moved. It did not seem to have any eyes, but that did not seem to stop it from being able to know where they were.

"What, the fuck, is that!?" Barret shouted in shock, his voice a mirror reflection of what everyone else was feeling.

Unfortunately, his shout seemed to have attracted the giant worm-like creature's attention. It turned to him, let out an ear splitting screech, then burrowed it's way under the earth and charged towards him.

Sand was kicked up in mass quantities as the monster moved underneath it. The effect it created was akin to a split wave that was often caused by boats and ships when they were moving along the waters surface at high speeds. Only in this case, the wave was nearly ten feet tall and could have easily swallowed any of them of them whole, burying them underneath several tons of sand with ease.

"Move Barret!" Cloud shouted as he drew his blade. He had absolutely no clue what he was going to do with it. Seriously, what could he do when the thing was under ground? But at least holding the familiar blade in his hand gave him some form of comfort.

"Ya don't gotta tell me twice!"

Barret did move. He moved like he never moved before, running from the head of splitting sand as quickly as his legs could carry his bulky frame while simultaneously shooting at the general area of where the creature seemed to be. It didn't seem to do anything, the wave was not losing any momentum and was still gaining, but at least he was doing something.

Most unfortunately, the rumbling combine with the fact that his bulky frame wasn't really made for running long distance, or running fast, ensured that he would slip eventually, which he did, literally.

He must have hit a softer part of the sand, because his left foot soon sunk into the sand and not only forced his forward progress to halt, but also made him fall over as the rest of his body continued moving forward.

"Barret!"

Tifa's cry went almost unheard as Barret rolled onto his back just in time to see the worm creature burst forth from the sand. His life seemed to flash before his eyes. He saw all the things he had done in his life up to this point. There were many things he regretted in his life, things he would not be able to change. At the moment, his biggest regret was that he would not be there to see Marlene as she grew up.

He did not close his eyes as the monsters mouth got closer. Instead he kept them open, glaring at the creature. If this was going to be his end, then he would be defiant until the end.

A good thing this would not be his end then.

With a squeal of pain, the giant worm reared back, it's head jerking into the air. It jerked it's head back and forth like some kind of beast of burden trying to get rid of a snake that had just bitten them. The reason for this soon became clear.

Cloud was on top of the creature's head, his large buster blade impaled through it's skull.

Of course, the term impaled implied that the sword had sunk pretty deep into the creature's body. That was not the case here. The monster's skin was incredibly hard despite it's gelatinous and liquidy look. His sword had only been able to pierce the first two, maybe three layers of it's skin.

Still, it had been enough to distract the thing, which had been his intent all along.

Falling down from the sky like some kind of avenging angel was none other than Naruto. He was literally dropping down head first, diving bombing the giant monster, his hand outstretched before him.

And in his hand was what looked like a basket ball of swirling blue energy. It was the Rasengan, an attack each of them had seen Naruto use at least once, only it looked like someone had decided to amp up the power. This Rasengan was much larger than his normal one. Inside of the ball was a maelstrom of destructive energy that looked like it was just barely being restrained, like it was awaiting for something special to unleash itself upon.

Cloud's grip tightened on his sword so he could yank it out as he jumped off the creature's head. He landed on the ground several meters below without a single injury thanks to his Mako infused body and looked up just in time to see Naruto's attack plow directly into the ugly worm-creature's face.

"Ōdama Rasengan (Big Ball Spiraling Sphere)!"

The explosion was extraordinary. It looked like some kind of spark that ignited into a giant blaze of blue, spiraling energy. The energy of the explosion soon created a dome that surrounded the worm monster's head, consuming it in the light of the explosion until nothing but whitish blue fire could be seen.

Thrown away by the backlash of his own attack, Naruto flipped through the air before landing on the ground several meters away. The force of the throw had him skidding for several more feet until he came to a stop next to Cloud.

"There," Naruto said with a satisfied nod. "I'd like to see him get up from that!"

He held out his fist to Cloud, who looked at it for but a moment before sighing and giving a fist bump.

Blonds for the win baby.

"You two shouldn't be celebrating yet," Red XIII's gruff voice came in. Naruto and Cloud looked over at the canine as he spoke. "It's not dead yet."

"What?" Naruto seemed more shocked then Cloud, who just looked resigned as he tightened his grip on his buster blade. "I know the things big, but there's no way something like that should be able to survive my Ōdama Rasengan!"

The Ōdama Rasengan was one of his strongest non elemental non Sage Mode attacks. It was an A-rank ninjutsu of destructive power capable of leveling a building depending on how much chakra he put into it.

Naruto had put a lot of chakra into this particular attack.

A screech alerted Naruto to the fact that, yes, Red XIII was right, his attack had actually failed. Looking over he saw what everyone else saw, the large worm monster still with it's head (?), still alive, and with only what looked like minor cosmetic damage on it's cranium.

"Oh, that's just not cool!"

The monster screeched again before it tried to descend upon Naruto like the fist of an angry god. The blond was quick to utilize his incredible speed to move out of the way while Cloud began jumping backwards with long leaps that managed to put him out of the path of the creature as well.

The monster slammed into the ground with enough force to make the earth quake. Sand was kicked up in mass quantities, making it almost look like an explosion of some kind had taken place instead of a creature burrowing it's way into the ground.

"This is jus' great!" Barret growled as the rumbling began anew. His eyes were moving across the sands surface frantically as he tried to figure out where the monster would pop out from. "What are we supposed to do now, Mister Leader?"

"Give me a moment to think of a plan," Naruto ignored the condescending tone in Barrett's voice. There were more important things to worry about. Like surviving the next few seconds.

A quick glance around showed him they that all of his companions were spaced pretty far apart. Far enough that the worm could not get them all in one bite anyways. And just how big was that mouth on it? Five meter? Maybe more? It was easily large enough to swallow a full grown man.

"Buy me some time! Distract it!"

"For how long!?"

"For however long I need!

Barret did not seem to like this plan, but he had little choice in the matter. It wasn't like he had any plan. So he just primed his gun and got ready to lock and load.

"Tifa, behind you!"

Alerted by Cloud's shout, Tifa saw the fast paced movement of the worm monster as it erupted from the surface. Being one of the more acrobatic fighters of the group, she was capable of leaping over the monster's gaping maw of a mouth before it could swallow her whole. As she soared through the air, she clenched her hand around a small round sphere. Materia. To be more specific, lightning materia.

Lightning erupted around her clenched fist.

"HYA!"

Descending down to the ugly monster, Tifa reared back the fist that it looked like it had been bathed in a blue current of electricity, then brought it down on the monster's back as she landed on the worm.

The sound of flesh smacking against hide was completely drowned out by the roar of lightning as it danced across the monster's frame. Looking like blue currents, the electricity generated from the materia skittered along the giant worm monsters skin, starting from the point where Tifa's fist impacted against it and expanding outwords.

Unfortunately, the lightning did not do much damage. In fact, it had barely done anything at all. Tifa cold see the small black mark of cracked flesh from where her fist made impact, but there was little else that signified her attack had done much if any damage.

At least it got the creature's attention. Though, perhaps that was not as a good thing as Tifa believed it to be. Especially since the thing now seemed angry.

As the giant worm reared up, screeching loudly in what sounded almost like anger. Tifa bent her legs and spring boarded off the monster's back. Her body flipped around like some kind of acrobat before she landed on the ground several meters away.

Almost as soon as her body hit the ground, the giant worms 'head' reared over to where she had landed.

"Uh oh."

Seeing this, Tifa quickly sped off, hoping that the worm would lose track of her, or at least that she would be able to outpace it. Perhaps if she was fast enough, the worm would lose sight of her.

It was a vein hope, the part that made up the creature's head swiveled around as she moved, keeping track of her with relative ease. If something didn't get it's attention soon, she might be in trouble.

Thankfully, help came in the form of Red XIII, who rushed in towards the monster on swift feet. His four legs propelled him across the surface of the sand far faster than most humans could muster. Held tightly in his mouth was a fire materia. With a loud, he began charging it up.

From an outsiders perspective, it looked almost like Red XIII had lit himself on fire. His fur coat seemed to be surrounded by an intense flame that covered his entire body as he raced across the desert looking like some kind of comet.

Without hesitation he smashed into the creature before it could go underground. Like with Tifa, the attack did not seem to do much damage, but it still managed to irritate it enough that it became distracted and stopped following the busty fighter.

A little ways away, Barrett was unloading barrage after barrage of bullets into the large worm's hide. It didn't seem to do anything. The monster's skin was harder than steel. It was even worse because he didn't actually know where to shoot. The damn worm didn't seem to have any weak points he could exploit.

That didn't stop him from doing what he could. Each time the gun in his arm ran out of ammo he would load in a new pack and continue shooting.

While Cloud, Tifa and Red XII were keeping the monster distracted by getting in close and damaging it with close range materia based attacks, Aerith was charging up her own magic for one of her strongest attacks.

"Blizzara!"

Shooting up form the ground like some kind of crystalline stalagmite was a large stake of ice. An oasis of cold within the desert heat. It glittered and glinted in the scorching sun, reflecting the many trillion grains of sand off it's surface.

The power behind the magic attack was so strong that the creature was actually lifted up by the large, several meter tall stake. The worm monster thrashed and screeched as blood began pouring out of a small wound in it's hide. Yet despite the power and durability behind the attack, it was not enough to pierce more than few layers of skin.

Before too long the thrashing caused the ice to shatter, sending small shards of jagged death flying in all directions as the monster crashed into the ground. Everyone around the beast found themselves losing their balance as the impact from the worm against the ground caused sand to rise up in a gigantic explosion and the earth to shake.

That was a bad thing, especially for Aerith, who soon found the monster's attention on her. The worm's screeching roar nearly blew out her ears drums as it made to charge her. Aerith, not being much of a front line fighter was not very manuverable, thus there was no way for her to dodge the giant worm before it would hit her.

"Big Shot!"

Thankfully, it didn't hit her. Before the worm could smash itself against Aerith and crush her underneath who knew how many tons of weight, a giant fireball suddenly smashed into the worms mouth, exploding inside it's maw where the flesh was wet and weak. The explosion rocked the monster with what looked to be agonizing pain as it screeched and thrashed along the ground like a dying beast. The intense bashing of itself against the ground knocked everyone down as the earth shook like some kind of angry god was bashing into the very planet.

As the monster writhed in agony while it's mouth was being burned by Barrett's attack, a loud bell-like screech reached the ears of those who were fighting the worm-creature. Everyone turned to look towards the source, surprised by just what it was.

Or maybe it would be more appropriate to say who it was.

Naruto Uzumaki was standing with his right hand raised above his head. Floating above his hand was a Rasengan, only, not at the same time. Only the center looked like a Rasengan. Surrounding the central sphere of swirling energy were what looked almost like four blades of greenish white energy that spun around at speeds so great all anyone could see was a blur. The bell-like shrieks were emitting from the strange looking Rasengan.

"The hell is that!?"

It was the question everyone else wanted to know, but no one had the answer to. They had seen the blond world traveler do many strange things. He could walk on walls, he could make copies of himself, his magic could cause destruction beyond anything they could comprehend, but this... this was something not even they could comprehend.

"Why is everyone looking at me?" asked Aerith when all of her companions turned as one to face her. Seriously, did they think she knew everything about her boyfriend? It wasn't like she had seen all of his powers and abilities just because they had lived together for several years.

"I suggest you all get the fuck out of the way if you don't want to be caught in this!" Naruto shouted as he reared his arm back.

"The hell is he doing!?" That was a startled Barrett.

"He's not going to do what I think he is, is he?" Tifa's eyes widened to the point where they looked like sake saucers as she turned to look at Cloud, who had a very serious look on his face.

"I think we should all move out of the way."

It was a good suggestion.

"Fūton: Rasenshuriken (Wind Release: Spiraling Shuriken)!"

Everyone scrambled to move as far away from the still thrashing worm as possible as Naruto threw, no hurled, the sphere of destructive four pointed screeching energy at it. The jutsu tore up the ground like it wasn't even there, literally creating a trench through the sand as the small granules were torn apart at the molecular level. Everything within the jutsu's path was annihilated.

And then it hit the monster.

The first thing that happened was the jutsu expanding. The tiny ball of condensed energy with the four swirling points grew to nearly twice it's original size as it struck. It then continued plunging deeper into the creature, tearing through it's flesh like it wasn't even there. The Rasenshuriken cut straight through the monster, destroying nearly half it's length before it exploded.

And what an explosion it was. A geyser of veritable energy that suddenly burst forth like a maelstrom began to literally tear away at everything around it. The explosion soon expanded into an easily noticeable dome of energy at least fifty meters wide, as if the jutsu were being contained to keep all that terrible power locked within that sphere of influence.

Everyone was forced to cover their eyes as the winds from the explosion of power kicked up enough sand that someone could probably see it rising from space. The wind howled in their ears, like the sounds of a thousand damned souls crying out in agony as they were torn to pieces by some phantasmal beast from beyond the grave.

When the fierce, howling winds finally died down and everyone could look again, it was to see the monster had been literally torn to shreds by what looked like billions of tiny blades cutting into it's flesh the same impunity a hot knife cuts through butter. The creature's hardened hide seemed to be literally flaking off as it was sliced into, the flesh peeling away to reveal it's bloody innards. At least for a second, until even the creature's insides began to dissolve under the assault of the countless number of wind blades.

Before too long the only thing left of the creature were a few bones with meaty bits of flesh hanging off of them. It was a sight that made everyone there green. Looking at the fleshy remains of something that had been torn to shreds was not pretty.

"The fuck was that!?" the shout came from Barrett, naturally. He seemed to be the only one capable of actually voicing his thoughts. Aerith and Tifa both looked sick, Red XIII remained quite as always, a small grimace on his face and Cloud? Well, he was actually gaping at the remains of the giant worm creature in shock.

"That was... fourth... fourth strongest... jutsu..."

At the sound of the haggard voice, everyone looked over to see Naruto staring at the remains of the worm monster.

It was easy to tell almost immediately that something was wrong with him, and not just because he was on his hands and knees. His face was very pale, gaunt almost. Those normally vibrant, glowing blue eyes had dimmed and looked sunken in. He was covered in a layer of sweat and shivering like someone had stripped in naked and stuck him up in the north crater. There was also a large red stain beneath his mouth from where he had thrown up blood.

"Naruto!"

Aerith rushed over to the kneeling blond as he continued to dry heave, a small trail of red escaping the corner of his lips. His breath was ragged and his entire body seemed to be shaking from the effort of trying not to collapse. She knelt down next to her boyfriend and began rubbing his back with one hand while the other tried to help hold him up.

"Thanks," Naruto rasped, his voice sounding like it had not been used in decades.

While the others watched the interaction, Red XIII stepped up, trying to ignore the coppery scent of blood as he eyed the young man curiously.

"What's this about that being your fourth strongest attack?"

"Fourth Strongest!?" That was Barrett.

"That... that jutsu..." Naruto coughed several times, making Aerith lean into him even more to try and give him some comfort. He managed to crane his neck to look back at her and smiled. "Aerith... back pocket... scroll..."

Understanding what he wanted, Aerith took a tiny scroll out of her back pocket and set it on the ground. Breaking the seal she unfurled the scroll, revealing the numerous lines and kanji of a sealing scroll.

Naruto placed his hand on the small circle in the center and channeled some chakra. Following the small puff of smoke that came, the whisker faced young man pulled out a bottle of water and brought to his mouth.

The first thing he did was wash his mouth out, swishing around several mouthfuls of water and spitting it on the ground. It helped to get rid of the taste of blood and vomit, though he was going to need to do some serious teeth brushing later. Maybe he should have thought of buying some mints. After clearing his mouth out as best he could, Naruto took several chugs of water to clear his throat so he could talk.

"That attack was called Rasenshuriken," Naruto began explaining in a tired voice. "It's an attack that produces a countless number of wind blades that literally slice apart the body at a cellular level. Depending on the amount of energy put into it, the Rasenshuriken can do anything from severing all of the nerve endings in a person or monster's body, or cause it to literally disintegrate as it's cut apart by the trillions of microscopic wind blades."

"The fuck kind of attack does that?" Barrett asked, completely shocked by the fact that there was an attack that could do so much damage.

In fact, everybody there seemed to be in a state of perpetual shock. They had all seen a lot of weird and downright freaky stuff, especially in the past few weeks, but the attack they just witnessed and Naruto's explanation on how it worked took the cake. Just what kind of power did the young blond man with glowing blue eyes have?

"Still," Naruto mused, his voice sounding just a bit more vibrant than before. "I didn't expect that attack to take so much out of me." It was the first time he had used the Rasenshuriken since coming to Gaia. He hadn't needed to use it for anything and, well, launching a jutsu that is over S-rank in the ninja classification system with no real reason is just stupid.

Still, to think the attack could drain him so much... it just went to show Naruto how different this materia was compared to his normal chakra coils back in the Elemental Nations. While that attack had always been draining, he could normally use it once or twice before exhausting himself.

Aerith was the first to recover. She smiled at the young man she had fallen in love with and shook her head.

"Even after knowing you for so many years, you still come up with new ways to surprise me."

Wasn't that the truth.

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah well, you know me. I'm always full of surprises. It comes with being a ninja."

The two shared a quick chuckled that the others just didn't get. They couldn't help but feel like there was some kind of inside joke they were not privy to. Oh well, their loss.

"Ok," Naruto grunted as he pushed himself back to his feet. He offered a smile to Aerith as she helped him, wrapping an arm around his waist and slinging his left arm over her shoulder to help support his weight. He was actually feeling much better now, the benefits of high level chakra regeneration and all that, but he certainly wasn't going to stop her from getting close to him. He enjoyed the feeling of her pressed against him too much. "We should probably get moving again. I want to be out of this kami forsaken desert as quickly as possible."

"Amen to that," Barrett agreed with him. A first if there ever was one. "Smartest thing you've ever said."

There you go.

Before any of them could even begin walking, however, a loud rumbling soon filled the area.

"What... what's going on!?" cried Tifa as she tried not to stumble from the intense shaking. Cloud quickly gripped her shoulder to keep her from falling. She offered him a smile. "Thanks."

"Oh, what the fuck!" Naruto growled. He quickly shifted his arm around the woman whose grip he was currently in so that it was wrapped tightly around Aerith's waist to keep her from being knocked to the ground. He was feeling better now anyways. "Don't tell me there's another one of those things!"

"Don't jinx it, man!" Barrett was not liking this at all. It felt like the entire earth was shaking! He could only hope to god there were no more of those worm monster things.

It was a vein hope.

The rumbling increased to a loud roar. The earth that had been shaking like the steps of a giant were walking next to them soon became so intense it was like the god's had decided to play ping pong with Gaia. It felt like everything was crumbling around them.

And then it happened. The earth all around them exploded. Pillars of sand looking like geisers shot into the sky, the large, column-like cylinders easily reaching well over one hundred meters in height. They reached into the very heavens themselves, and from those pillars_ they _emerged. Ten large, ugly looking monstrous worms, each one was far larger than the one Naruto had killed with his Fūton: Rasenshuriken.

"By the planet," Aerith whispered in muted horror.

"This is not good," Tifa was of a like mind.

"Holy fuck!" Barret was a lot less eloquent than they were, but the sentiment was the same.

"This doesn't look very promising," as always, Cloud sounded quite bland compared to the others. His biggest response was in the way he tightened his grip on his buster blade so hard that his skin turned ghost white.

"So not cool."

Naruto looked up at the giant, writhing monsters of gelatinous looking flesh as they rose into the air like colossal tentacles from a being of pure entropy. Then he looked around at all his companions and the horrified expressions on their face. Looked like it was up to him to get them out of this.

"I hope you have a plan for getting us out of this," Red XIII said to Naruto, who did, in fact, have a plan.

"I vote we all run away as fast as we can."

Not the most inspiring of plans, but a good idea nonetheless.

A very good idea.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>After managing to just barely escape the giant worm infested desert with their lives, Naruto and company found themselves wandering through the grassy fields of the Calm Plains once more. Even the possible threat of Kalm Fangs did not deter them. This place was far safer than that desert could ever be.<p>

With nothing better to do at the moment and being as exhausted as they were from their close encounter of the giant wiggly kind, the group of five humans and one feline decided it would be in their best interest to get some well deserved rest.

They had set up camp several dozen kilometers from the desert. Those strange, gargantuan worms hadn't chased after them. Naruto suspected they could only move through the soft sands and the hardened earth of the Calm Plains would be too difficult for them to move through quickly.

The camp was not really much of a camp at all. Naruto had set up a small fire where he was currently roasting several pounds worth of meat on a spit. The group sat around the small fire while Naruto slowly rotated the cooking meat so it would cook evenly.

Aerith was sitting right next to Naruto, as she always was. She was leaning against his side, her head resting on his shoulder. Out of all the group she looked the most exhausted. While everyone else was a natural fighter and trained to endure a lot, she was not, and not even her natural athleticism could deal with running through a desert for several hours at full throttle while being chased by ten one hundred meter long monster worms just after finishing the fight of her life with an only slightly smaller worm.

The one who took second place for worst off was definitely Barret. The big man was currently sprawled out on his back, arms spread wide as he looked at the sky with blank eyes, his chest heaving up and down as he took large breaths of air.

His dark skinned was covered in sweat and sand, and his face looked particularly haggard. Barret was a gunman, he did not fight up close or do too much running except when trying to find cover. Having to run so much had taken it's toll on him. It didn't help that his bulky muscles had weighed him down, forcing him to compensate by running harder.

Sitting next to Cloud with her legs crossed as she idly traced small circles in the ground was Tifa Lockhart. She didn't look nearly as bad as the other two, a tad tired, very sweaty, and there was some sand sticking to her body. Then again, no one would deny that Tifa Lockhart could ever look anything but sexy. Even when exhausted, sweaty and covered in sand, she was still a picture perfect vision of loveliness.

In some ways, the sand and sweat just made her look more erotic than usual.

Out of Naruto companions, Red XIII and Cloud looked the least effected by what had happened. Red XIII was a feline and used to running long distances at high speeds. His body was built for endurance and speed. On the other side of the coin, Cloud was an X-member of SOLDIER, his Mako infused body was very durable and could take much more punishment and physical exertion than a normal human body could. The former was laying down, using his front paws as pillows while the latter was sitting with one leg out and the other cropped up to form a triangle. Standing beside him, a silent sentinel to them all, was the large buster blade that was his weapon of choice.

"Ok," Naruto frowned as he looked over at his companions. All of them were tired and sweaty. They looked like they had just barely managed to escape from hell, which in a way they had. "Does anyone have any ideas on how to get through that desert without becoming worm food?"

Everyone shuddered, even Cloud and Red XIII, at his question. No one wanted to go back through that desert. They didn't even want to go near it!

But they also knew they didn't have much of a choice. If they wanted to continue on this quest to find Sephiroth before he got to the Promised Land and stop Shinra from getting their greedy hands on the Promised Land, they needed to get past that desert.

It didn't make the thought of going through that again any easier.

"You're the leader," Barret grunted. "Since you so smart, why don't you figure out how to get us past those damn worms, Mr. Leader."

Naruto sighed and closed his eyes. He had been hoping that Barret would get over him being chosen as the leader, but he guessed that was too much to ask for so soon.

"I'm not infallible," Naruto kept his voice civil. They were all running on fumes and faded adrenaline so negative emotions were coming out a bit more easily. It wasn't entirely Barret's fault he was acting as he was, and Naruto didn't want to cause an argument because he let Barret's heated words get the best of him. "I make mistakes just like everybody else, and being the leader does not mean I have all the answers. A good leader always listens to the advice and counsel of those around him."

Every leader had advisers, people he or she listened to when needing counsel. You would never see a leader without at least one or two people giving them information, advice and ideas on how best to go about their goals.

That was why the Nidaime Hokage had created the Konoha Counsel. He knew that when running a village, it was impossible for the leader to solve all of the villages problems without aid. Sure, the counsel may have eventually become corrupted by bureaucracy, but even then it had been necessary to keep the village running.

"When I was in SOLDIER, we usually crossed the desert using high speed, all terrain vehicles," Cloud said. "If you move fast enough, you can outpace those monsters easily. It's the reason most of us never realized there was something underneath the sands. We all thought it was just to get us out of that desert as soon as possible."

"Unfortunately, I don't have any high speed, all terrain vehicles sealed in any of my scrolls," Naruto replied a tad dryly. Cloud shrugged, but didn't offer any more.

"The only way I can see us getting past that desert is by flying over it," Tifa added her own input. "So unless you can fly, I'm not really sure what we can do."

Everyone then turned to look at Naruto, who felt a mild trickle of sweat run down his forehead as he realized why they were looking at him.

"No," he told them, his voice almost amused. "I can't fly."

Everyone released a disappointed sigh that had Naruto wondering if they actually thought he was capable of flight.

Honestly, him, flying. What a ridiculous thought.

It sounded pretty cool though.

"So we're basically out of ideas," Tifa sounded very disappointed, and not without reason. They really did need to get past that desert, even if she was shuddering at the thought of going anywhere near that worm ridden place again.

"Maybe not," Red XIII spoke up, directing all attention towards him. "While we were going through the Calm Plains, I managed to spot some kind of structure a couple hundred kilometers away." His eyes were much better than a humans eyes. Much like those of a hawk, Red XIII could see hundreds of kilometers away easily. "I didn't say anything because I didn't think we would need to go there."

"Alright," Naruto sounded exceedingly more cheerful now than he had a few moments ago. "After we finish eating, and maybe resting some more, we'll head over to that place you saw, Red."

Everyone seemed to agree with the idea, even Barrett, which was saying something. With that said and done, they all began to dig into their food with the ravenousness of someone who had not eaten in months.

They may not have a plan for crossing that Gaia forsaken desert, but at least they had a destination that might lead to an answer.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"What the hell are these things?"<p>

Naruto found himself staring at what had to be the strangest looking creature he had ever seen. It was a giant bird with bright yellow feathers, a long, curved beak. Several feathers crested out on the top of their heads like a small fan, and they had very large feather's splayed out behind their fannies like some kind of peacock. Sharp, clawed feet attached to twig-thin legs completed this image of oddness. Really, they looked kind of like giant, yellow chickens.

The beak was pretty awesome he had to admit though, because it was orange. And orange was awesome. But really, the idea of giant chickens was just weird.

"They're Chocobos," Tifa answered while Cloud sweat dropped.

"Don't you remember seeing them pulling the carriage Tifa was on?"

Naruto blinked, then smashed his right fist into his left hand.

"Right, I remember these things now." He looked a tad sheepish. "With all that's happened I kinda forgot about seeing these things before."

"Only you, Naruto," Aerith shook her head fondly as she looked at her boyfriend.

"Whatever, why don't you guys stop screwin' around!" Barret did not seem to be in a good mood. "We need to find a way to get past them worms. Can't afford to be wastin' time here."

Naruto sighed. This guy really rubbed him the wrong way for some reason. Still...

"You're right," he said, surprising those present, none more so than Barret. "We came here in the hopes that there would be something that could help us get past the desert without becoming worm food. Let's go talk to the owner of this place. He lives near the desert so he might have an idea that can help us."

It took a good while for them to get over their shock, but when they did, they followed Naruto as he made his way towards the large structures.

The place they had found themselves in was some kind of farm. Past the gated fence containing all of the Chocobos were several buildings and a well. There was a small, basic looking one story house made of wood painted a dull gray and a red tiled roof. On the left side and behind it was a large, half cylinder shaped building. It looked similar to an army barracks, except for the painting of a baby Chocobo above the entrance. And the inside, where several stalls filled with more Chocobos could be seen. In between the house and what was obviously a barn was a large windmill made of bricks with a red thatched roof.

Beyond that, spread out as far as the eyes could see was field upon field of crops. There were all kinds of different types of produce being grown from basic vegetables like corn and cucumbers to fruits like apples and oranges. A few of the fields were even bearing plants that Naruto could not identify, though judging by the giant chickens he could at least make a reasonable assumption that it was Chocobo food.

The owner of the ranch did not appear to be in the house. Naruto had knocked several times and not received an answer, which meant he could only be in the barn.

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Heya! The names Choco Billy. How can I help you fine folk?"<p>

Naruto wondered if Choco Billy was really this guys name. It was a very stupid name, though it seemed to fit. The ranch owner before them was a very skinny man, he looked like a twig that would snap in a stiff breeze really. Covering his sandy looking hair was a stray hat that cast a small shadow over his face, though it did nothing to hide his bulbous nose and thin looking chin.

His long, thin frame was covered by a pair of baggy overalls that had numerous dirt and grass stains on them. At least, Naruto hoped they were dirt and grass. He didn't want to think of what else they might be. He wasn't wearing a shirt, which was how Naruto knew this guy was thinner than a Chocobos leg.

"We were hoping you could help us with a problem we're having," being the designated leader of the group, Naruto was also the spokesperson. It was just another reason he was a better choice than Barret. He knew diplomacy, even if he didn't like the use it.

Barret would have just stuck his gun arm in the man's face and threatened to shoot him if he didn't help.

Choco Billy looked at the strange group of folks crowding around his barn. Hooking his thumbs into the straps of his overalls and chewing on the straw of grass in his mouth, he asked the question that anyone in his position would have. "And just what kind of problem do you guys have?"

"We're trying to get past the desert," Choco Billy blanched, causing Naruto to grin. "I see you know what that means. In order to get past the desert, we need to find a way past those giant worms that live in the desert. However," he glanced around at his companions, grimacing. "We have no idea how to do that. Barring any real ideas on how to cross the desert, we came here hoping there was someone who might be able to help us with that."

Choco Billy stared at Naruto for a second before grinning.

"Then ya'll certainly came to the right place! I know exactly how to get past the desert."

"Really?" Naruto felt his own grin coming onto his face. "That's great! So how do we cross the desert?"

"Ya'll be needin' a Chocobo."

"Eh?"

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>"I can't believe we have to ride one of these things," Naruto grumbled as he looked at the Chocobo that had been selected for him to ride. It was standing their, not paying any attention to him or those around it, namely because it was pecking at it's wing. "And I had to pay so much money to rent out these things too."<p>

After Choco Billy had given his piece of sagely knowledge on crossing the desert, he had offered to let Naruto and his friends each ride one of the Chocobos from the ranch... for a price. The price, in Naruto's opinion, was ridiculous. Who pays that much just to ride on a giant chicken?

Aerith rolled her eyes at her boyfriend's grumbling complaints.

"It's not that bad, and besides, you're rich. I doubt the amount paid was even a drop in the bucket for you."

"Well, yeah..." Naruto scratched the back of his head, then cast a glance at the Chocobo that was now pecking away at the crest of feathers on it's chest. Was it searching for flees or something? "But still..." He really didn't want to ride one of those things. "...Looks uncomfortably."

He was, of course, referring to the saddle that was mounted onto the Chocobo. Naruto had never ridden anything aside from his toad summons, but he had seen people riding horses that had saddles similar to the ones being used here. Those people had ended up walking bow legged for several days after just a few hours of riding.

Ok, so maybe he was exaggerating a little. That didn't change the fact that those people had walked funny for several hours afterwords. Not his idea of a good time.

"Don't be such a baby," Aerith chided the blond. "Look, even Barret doesn't have a problem riding a Chocobo."

Naruto looked over at Barret, who was trying to get on a Chocobo. Trying, and failing. The large, dark skinned man with the gun arm seemed to be having problems getting a good grip on the bird. Not only did he only have one hand to use, but his grip seemed to be too strong as every time he grabbed onto the Chocobo's feather's it would squawk in pain and yank itself away. The one time he did manage to get a good grip, it did exactly that and he ended up falling on his ass.

"God Dammit! Stay still and let me get on you stupid chicken!"

Sitting on his haunches besides Barret was Red XIII. The red furred feline of the group looked at Barret with what Naruto thought was amusement.

"Shall I get a bench for you to stand on? It may help you get on the creature without having to actually pull yourself up?"

Barret just swore some more.

Aerith felt a trickle of sweat permeate the side of her forehead.

"Well, at least he's trying to get on."

"Cloud and Tifa seem to be doing much better."

Indeed they were. In fact, Cloud was already mounted on the Chocobo's saddle and his feet were in the stirrups. He extended his hand for Tifa to take hold, which she did, and lifted the busty young woman up so that she could sit on the back.

Naruto looked back at his Chocobo, then at Aerith.

"Do I have to?"

"Are you really going to make such a big deal out of this?" Aerith placed her fists on her hips and adopted a stern pose. "Are you really going to be such a baby?" She paused, her head tilting to the side. "And just why are you being such a baby about this anyways? You've done things way more dangerous than riding a Chocobo. You know, like, breaking into Shinra's Headquarters to rescue me."

"That was different," Naruto grumbled. "You were in danger." He really didn't want to get on this thing and have to deal with chaffing or whatever had those people he saw walking bow legged when they rode those horses.

Still, he didn't really have much of a choice it seemed. Aerith had set the challenge, calling him out on his masculinity by calling him a baby. To back down and not go through with this would be tantamount to admitting she was right.

There was also the little matter of them needing to ride these things in order to cross the desert, but that was a minor detail.

Sighing, Naruto grasped two fistfuls of the Chocobo's feathery neck, then hauled himself up, using the stirrup as a step while he swung his left leg over to the other side. A few paces away, Barret looked at the ease at which the whiskered blond managed to get up and grumbled a complaint to himself.

"Damn blond. What is it with those two always getting' one over on me like this?"

Once he was adjusted in the seat with only a minor amount of wincing due to the saddle rubbing him the wrong way, Naruto held out his hand to Aerith, who grinned as she took it and allowed herself to be pulled onto the back. When she was on, her arms wrapped around Naruto's waist as she allowed her chin to rest on his shoulder.

"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?"

Naruto sighed, but smiled.

"If I get to be this close to you then I guess it can't be all bad." His words were met with Aerith's soft giggling.

"No, not bad at all," she allowed herself to smile before planting a swift kiss on his cheek, then situating herself until she was comfortable and could rest her head against his back.

Over where Cloud was doing some last minute checks with the Chocobo he was on, Tifa watched the couple with a dreamy expression and sighed.

"They're so cute," she muttered to herself, before turning dissatisfied eyes on Cloud. "Why can't you be like that?"

Cloud halted his mental check list and looked over at his child hood friend. A few seconds later his mind registered her words and formatted them in a way he could understand. He then looked over at Naruto and Aerith, who were chatting idly with Aerith resting her head against his back while her arms were wrapped around his waist.

Naruto must have said something, because Aerith giggled some more, then leaned up and kissed the base of his neck.

The spiky headed blond then looked at Tifa once more, his expression deadpanned.

"I'm not kissing Naruto."

Tifa face palmed.

"Idiot..."

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>Crossing the desert on Chocobos proved to be a very easy task. It seemed that the twig legged birds could not only travel fast, but were so light on their feet that they did not stir up any sand as they moved across the desert. The worm monsters did not even show up.<p>

This proved to Naruto that the small theory he had thought up after the fight was true. It had been his belief that the worms managed to 'see' not through sight, but through vibrations in the ground. When someone moved, or even just shouted, it sent small tremors through the sands that the worms could pick up on and triangulate their preys position.

It would also explain why Red XIII was targeted only after he had managed to land a powerful hit on the monster's hide. He was just as light on his feet as these Chocobos.

Naruto tried not to wince as his man bits rubbed against the saddle in all the wrong ways. Those Samurai he had met that could stay on a horse for the entire day must have had balls of steel or something. What guy would willingly subject themselves to such torture for days on end? He was seriously beginning to think he should have worn a cup.

Trying to keep his focus off the pain in his nut sack, the whiskered blond looked over at his companions. They were galloping (did Chocobos actually gallop?) in more or less a triangle formation. His and Aerith's Chocobo had taken point while Cloud's and Tifa's was on their left and Barret's was on the right. Red XIII was running just a few paces on the left of Cloud and Tifa.

The two Chocobos made for an interesting contrast. Or their riders did. Cloud held a look of absolute calm as he held the reigns of his Chocobo, seemingly ignoring Tifa as she used the time allotted to her as an excuse to snuggle against his back. Naruto wondered how he was dealing with all this riding without having his nuts rubbed raw.

Barret, on the other hand, looked like he was about ready to fall off. His entire body was lurching forward and, instead of holding onto the reigns like a normal person, had his arms wrapped around the creature's neck. Naruto was surprised the poor beast hadn't been strangled to death, though if the gurgling wheezes coming out of it were any indication, such an act wouldn't be long in coming.

A content sigh against his back forced his attention towards his own riding partner, causing a smile to work it's way to his face. Even though he could not see her, Naruto could imagine the content little smile playing across her beautiful face as she held herself close to him.

Gods, when did he get so sappy?

"It looks like we're almost out of the desert!" Red XIII's comment could just barely be heard over the rushing wins.

"Looks like it," Tifa lifted her head up and looked over Cloud's shoulder. "We're almost at the edge of the mountain range."

"Bout damn time!" Barret seemed pleased with this development, or as pleased as someone hanging onto the neck of a giant chicken for dear life as they sped across a desert could be. "Don't wanna be on this thing for another damn – THE HELL IS THAT!?"

All three Chocobo's plus one feline skid to a halt and stared in shock. In front of them was one of those giant worms. A very dead giant worm. The entire one hundred meter creature had been skewered by what looked like a large wooden stake, or a very dead tree that simply served the same purpose. The wood was stained with copious amounts of blood. Almost the entirety of the bark was died red.

"By the Planet!" Tifa gasped in shock and a mixture of horror. "What could have done such a thing?"

"You mean who could have done such a thing," Naruto corrected, his eyes narrowed as he looked at the giant worm. Everyone looked over his way, and even Aerith lifted her head up so she could turn it slightly to face him.

"Naruto?" she asked worriedly while her blond boyfriend made eye contact with Tifa's equally blond not-so-secret-crush. The two blond's seemed to share a silent conversation that neither she nor anyone else were privy to, before nodding.

"This is definitely Sephiroth's work," Cloud declared, getting several shocked glances from Aerith, Tifa and Barret. Red XIII just looked intrigued.

"Are you sure this was done by him?" asked Tifa, a tremor in her voice. "I mean, I know you said he's strong but..."

"From everything I've heard and everything Cloud's said about him, Sephiroth is probably the only person on the planet who could do something like this," Naruto said as he eyed the dead worm. Tsunade could have probably done the same thing to the giant monster, she certainly had enough physical strength for it. He, however, could not have done this, not like this at least. Naruto was sure he could have killed the monster, he had killed the last one, but not with what looked to be bare physical strength.

How strong was Sephiroth then?

"Alright you guys," Naruto startled everyone out of their introspection or stupification. "We're wasting time just sitting here. The cave is just a few meters past the worm. Let's get going."

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>The cave that supposedly led them through to the other side of the mountain range was not exactly what most people would come to expect from an average cave. While it had all the things one would expect from a cavern, walls, floors and ceiling made from rock with stalactites hanging from the ceiling and stalagmites jutting up from the floor, it was also vastly different.<p>

For one thing, most caverns don't have an unnatural glow to them. While it was possible for caverns to have refracted light due to crystal formations, that only happened in the presence of said formations, and this was more of a glow than a refraction of light rays bouncing through a prism of crystals.

This was never more clear when one realized just where the light was coming from.

Looking down from the ledge they were walking along, one could easily see the eerie green glow emanating from the bottom of the cavern. In fact, there didn't seem to be a single spot down below the ledges they were walking along that _didn't _seem to be glowing. It was almost like the entire bottom was made up of some kind of potent, luminescent energy instead of solid ground.

It reminded Cloud of the Mako reactors he had visited, only the lights coming up from the bottom to illuminate the cave seemed much more natural and were not roiling with smoggy gas from the refined Mako energy.

Naruto spent much of his time looking around the cave as they walked. His ears twitched intermittently as the sound of their footsteps constantly hit the rough and rocky ground.

"I wonder how far down this cave goes," Tifa commented in a hushed tone. Even though her voice was soft, it still resounded off the walls very easily in the silence around them, echoing for several seconds before fading away as if the person speaking was getting farther and farther from them. "Creepy."

"It looks like it goes down really far," Aerith looked over the edge slightly before shuddering and turning away. "Really, _really _far. I can't even see the bottom."

"That's probably just because of that strange green glow," Naruto said, frowning. "Or maybe that's the only reason we can see down there at all. It's hard to tell how far down it goes when none of that glowing mass looks at all solid. It almost reminds me of a cloud."

"Don't care how far down it goes," Barret grunted as he looked around the cave warily. "I don't know about you guys, but I jus' wanna get the hell outta here."

"It will probably take a while before we can find the exit," Naruto commented. "I don't know how wide this mountain range is, but it has to at least be several kilometers long. It was already noon when we entered the cave. If it takes too long before we reach the exit, we may have to find a place to camp out for the night."

"You serious!?" Barret's loud voice rang out through the cave, creating a loud rumble that reverberated against the walls. He did not sound pleased.

"Quiet!" Cloud hissed, rounding on the dark skinned man before Naruto could. "Being loud in caverns like this can be extremely dangerous. Do you want to set off a rock fall and have all us get buried alive down here?" A loud rumbling sounded out somewhere in the distance. "See? That was likely caused by you yelling. Next time it may be us that gets buried under several tons of rock."

Barret had the decency to look sheepish at being scolded by Cloud of all people. Everyone else looked pretty shocked too, none more so than Tifa.

"Wow," she mumbled to herself. "I haven't seen him get that upset since he and Barret were arguing over his payment back in..." she trailed off, remember the time back when she had been the owner of _Seventh Heaven_. More specifically, her mind replayed the events that led to the death of Biggs, Wedge and all the people who had lived in the Sector Seven slums.

Aerith sensed her friends down word turn into depression, and began to gently rub the other woman's back. When Tifa turned to look at her, she offered a bright smile.

"Everything will be alright," she said with confidence. "You'll see. We're going to make sure people like Shinra and Sephiroth can't commit those kinds of tragedies anymore."

Tifa offered the enthusiastic girl a smile.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks Aerith."

"What are friends for?"

* * *

><p><strong>LOGNS<strong>

* * *

><p>The cavern was very difficult to navigate, as the group soon found out. Winding tunnels branched out into more winding tunnels that seemed to lead nowhere. Sometimes the group would find themselves at a dead end, others they would end up going in a circle as the path lopped back around. The numerous paths to choose from made choosing the right path nearly impossible on the first try.<p>

Occasionally, they would find a place where the tunnels faded away and opened up into a much more cavernous section of the mountain's interior. During these times the green glow from below would be at it's strongest as the many paths broke off created various chasms that one could fall in if they weren't too careful.

Naruto found himself particularly fascinated by the plant life within the cave. There wasn't much of it, but what little plant life there was had grown incredibly sturdy. Snaking out from the cavern walls and climbing up towards the ceiling and even down into the depths where it disappeared into the green glow were several thick stock-like vines.

Some of these vines were quite large, easily reaching heights that could likely be measured in the triple digits. Those ones were about as thick as he was, a few of them even got close to Barrett's level thickness. The smaller ones were not large, but they were certainly long. They wrapped themselves around the much thicker vines like a sinuous snake as they either ascended to the ceiling or descended into the chasms below.

"Hey, I think I see a light up ahead," Tifa said as she tried to glance through the tunnel they were taking.

"I see something as well," Red XIII added, his enhanced vision making it easier for him to distinguish differences in color and light intensity. "I do not know if that means we are nearing the end of the tunnel, but I believe that at the very least we have found a place where the sunlight breaks through in small amounts."

"Then let's get movin'," Barret grumbled moodily as he sped up his walk. He seemed to still be a bit sullen after Cloud had berated him for being so loud. At least he wasn't shouting at the top of his lungs. "The sooner we're outta this damn cave the better."

The path of tunnels they were in soon opened up into another wide cavern. The ground gave way on either side of the tunnel they had just exited, leaving gaping chasms on either side of the small path. It would not do to fall down there.

The end of the path was fairly safe. It was much thicker than the tiny walkway they had been on, easily large enough for the entire group to spread out instead of walking single file. Which they did immediately when they noticed something that set them on edge.

They were not alone.

Naruto stood in front of one of the Turks, Rude, the dark skinned man with the bald head and shades. He was standing on a cliff several face several meters above them, looking down as he stood next to what looked like several large roots that combined to form a tree.

Standing on either side of Naruto was Aerith and Cloud, with Tifa on Cloud's left and Red XIII on Aerith's right. All four of them looked ready for a fight. Behind them, the whirring click of Barret's gun arm being unlocked from it's safety mode could be heard echoing through the room.

While the others looked ready to attack, Naruto remained calm. Rude wasn't making any threatening gestures, and he could not sense any malicious intent from him or anyone else within the cave. The Turks weren't here to fight.

"I didn't expect us to meet so soon," Naruto decided to take point. The Turks were here for a reason, and he aimed to find that reason.

"Neither did I," Rude replied in his normal gruff voice. "Yet here we are. I believe this is only the second time we've truly met face to face."

"Yep," Naruto said, popping the P when he spoke. "I believe the first time was when you ambushed my girlfriend and I after we had just finished having a very nice afternoon together." He crossed his arms and adopted a look of annoyance. "I'm still a bit upset at you for that."

If Rude found Naruto's comment annoying he didn't show it.

"To be fair, you got back at Reno and I pretty good."

"I did, didn't I?" Naruto said with a look of self satisfaction.

While Naruto was essentially trading banter back and forth with Rude, the other members of his party were looking confused.

Tifa leaned over and cupped a hand to her mouth so that she could whisper into Cloud's ear. "What's going on?" she asked, sounding very confused. "I thought we were enemies with them."

"We are," Cloud answered, his eyes remaining locked on the scene before them. "But it's clear they didn't come here to fight. They've got bigger fish to fry."

Tifa's eyes widened.

"You mean...?"

Cloud did not say anything more. He merely gave her a small incline of his head, then focused the entirety of his attention on the conversation going on between the leader of their group and Rude.

While Cloud and Tifa shared that small conversation between themselves, there was another member of the group who was not taking this as calmly as the others.

Barret was not pleased with this situation. Not at all. Now not only could they not get out of this cave, but the blond bastard was speaking with their enemy as if they were friends! How could he speak so casually to one of the people who blew up the support structure keeping the plate above the Sector Seven Slums?

With a click of his barrel, Barret pointed his gun arm at a now alert Rude.

"I'm sick listenin' to you two talk!" He growled, glaring at both Rude and Naruto. "This guys one of the enemy and you jus' talkin' with him like you two are old buddies. Well, I'm through with that! I'm gonna show this fucker what happens when you mess with AVALANCHE!"

"Barret," Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose. "Kindly do us all a favor and shut the fuck up."

His words had an effect on everybody. The group of five looked very startled, even Aerith looked more shocked than normal. Though that may have had something to do with his swearing. Naruto rarely ever cursed in her presence before, only when the situation was really out of hand.

"What'chu say?" Barrett's quiet growl was even more menacing this his loud one. He took a step forward in order to get close to the blond so he could properly lay into him, but found his path blocked by a large sword. Following the length of the sword he came to the sight of Cloud staring him down. "The hell, spiky?"

"Don't interfere," was all Cloud said. Barrett grumbled some, but seeing the looks he was beginning to get, took a step back and decided not to do anything more... for the moment.

Cloud gave Naruto a nod, who nodded back before turning his head to look at Rude.

"Why don't we just get down to business," Naruto suggested, keeping his arms uncrossed. He shifted his arms just slightly, feeling the hidden kunai in his sleeves that he kept on him at all times just in case things went south. It never hurt to be safe. "What exactly are you doing here?"

"Very well," Rude adjusted his sunglasses. Just why he was still wearing sunglasses when it was actually kind of dark inside of the cavern was beyond most of those in the room. "Do you know what it is we Turks do?"

"Espionage, kidnapping, black mail, murder," Naruto began listing off the kinds of jobs he knew the Turks took on. "Most of your work is very covert, often kept away from the public eye because if people learned about what it is you guys did, the general populace would be in an uproar. Basically, you guys do anything and everything your boss tells you to."

"That's one way to put it," Rude admitted with a frown. While he didn't show much on the outside, on the inside he was worried. Even the basic knowledge of what the Turks did was known only to a few. And going by the smile on Naruto's face, the blond knew a bit more than he was letting on. Granted, they had run ins with each other before, but that didn't explain how he had any kind of comprehensive information on them.

Just how much did Naruto know about their unit?

"However, the situation has changed a bit." Rude looked down at the ground, his frown growing more prominent. He blinked beneath his sunglasses, his brow ridges scrunched up. It looked like he was trying to continue speaking, but seemed to be having some trouble talking.

"..."

"..."

"..."

As the silence grew, those of Naruto's group, including the blond leader himself sweat dropped in unison as they watched the dark skinned Turk create a face that made him look constipated. Was it really that hard for him to talk? Or did he just have to take a leak really bad and was just now noticing?

"Sir!"

All heads turned to the left and up. There, standing on a bluff, was a blond woman wearing the same black suit as the Turks. She was a decently attractive young woman. Her blond hair was cut short, about jaw length all told, and the right side was longer then the left, leaving her bangs uneven. She had brown eyes and pale skin, and though Naruto could not see much of her figure, the way she moved gave her away as a close combat fighter.

"It's alright, Rude. I know how you don't like speaking anymore than necessary so don't force it."

Rude looked surprisingly relieved.

"Alright, Elena. Then you can explain it to them."

Most would have wondered why the Turks were actually bothering to explain anything to them. Barret certainly looked confused, and agitated. Mostly agitated. Tifa and Aerith also seemed preplexed. Only Cloud seemed to have picked up on the same thoughts as Naruto.

Red XIII might have too, but it was always hard to tell with that feline.

"I'm Elena, one of the newest members of the Turks," Elena was being awfully helpful, Naruto noted, giving them information that was probably not necessary for why they had waited for his group but was nonetheless helpful. This woman was definitely a bit of a blabber mouth. Probably the reason she was being the mouth piece here. "Thanks to what you guys did to Reno, we're short on members. Of course, it's also because of that, that I got to join the Turks."

Yep, definitely a blabber mouth.

"In any case, our job is to find out where Sephiroth is headed. And to try and stop you guys every step of the way."

At those words, a good deal of Naruto's party prepared for combat. Barret locked and loaded his gun arm, Tifa had gotten into a fighting stance and Aerith had her staff in hand, prepared to launch her spells at the woman while Red XIII was crouched low and ready to attack at a moments notice. Even Cloud had tightened his grip on his buster blade.

"No, wait a minute," Elena murmured, more to herself than anyone else, though thanks to the acoustics of the cavern everyone heard her. "I think it's supposed to be the other way around... you're the ones getting in our way..."

Several rounds of near face faults went around at this as the group of ex-freedom fighters, flower girl, red furred feline and ex-member of SOLDIER nearly tripped over themselves at the woman's words. Naruto merely snorted in minor amusement.

"Elena, you talk too much."

More head turning was involved as a new voice entered the picture, one that Naruto knew very well by now. It was none other than Tseng, who was now standing next to Rude as he looked down at the group, more specifically his eyes stayed on Naruto and Aerith.

Glowing blue eyes flickered to Aerith, who looked a little shaken at the sight of Tseng. Despite his somewhat good intentions, she had never liked the man, and Naruto knew this. He carefully proceeded to step in front of her, an action that did not go unnoticed by the more observant members of the group.

Tseng's mouth flickered very briefly. Most would not have noticed it, and even if they did, many would probably assume the smile that had briefly appeared on his face had been nothing more than a mere illusion, a trick of the light reflecting shadows off his face.

"Mr. Tseng!?"

"There's no need to tell them about our orders, Elena," Naruto almost snorted when he heard this, but managed to keep quiet.

"I'm... I'm sorry, Tseng," Elena said, bowing her head in shame. She looked like someone who had just had her puppy kicked. Or murdered in some kind of satanic ritual.

"I thought I gave you other orders." Tseng made a swiping motion with his hand, dismissing her and Rude. "Now go. And don't forget to file your report."

"Very well," Elena saluted her superior. "Rude and I will head over to Junon Harbor to continue our pursuit of Sephiroth."

"..." Tseng sighed. "Elena, you don't seem to understand the term 'need to know' very well."

"Oh!" Elena's eyes widened as she realized her mistake. It was almost amusing enough to not be annoyed at being practically forgotten. Even Naruto was beginning to get somewhat annoyed, though he kept his emotions in check. Unlike Barret, whose face was beginning to turn red, he knew the importance of what was being said here. "I'm, I'm terribly sorry," she stuttered.

"Just go," Tseng sighed. "And don't let Sephiroth get away."

"Yes sir!" Both Rude and Elena said at the same time, snapping off a quick salute before leaving. Or at least, Elena did. Rude had turned back to look at the group.

"Reno said he wanted to see you after the injuries you gave him," he informed the five people and one feline who had caused them so much trouble in the past few weeks. "He wants to show his affection for you all with a new weapon."

"Sorry, but could you tell Reno I don't swing that way?" asked Naruto, sounding so pleasantly polite that there was no way the emotions in his voice could be anything but mocking. "Besides, I'm already involved with someone and, well, she's a lot cuter than Reno is so..." as Naruto trailed off, Aerith shook her head, looking amused even as a light pink tint formed on her cheeks. Tifa and Barret seemed pretty amused as well, if the silent snickers of mirth and loud chortling were any indication. Even Cloud was smirking.

Rude looked at Naruto with a very serious expression on his face. If he was annoyed or upset in anyway, he did not show it.

"I will tell him you said that."

And with those last words, he was off, walking out through the same exit that Tseng had come through.

"You are amusing as always, Naruto Uzumaki," Tseng said without much inflection. "Always the joker I see."

Naruto shrugged.

"Someone's got to keep the lighthearted moments going."

"Indeed," the leader of the Turks turned his attention away from the blond and onto Aerith, who had decided not to keep using Naruto as cover and was now standing by his side. "Long time no see, Aerith. It looks like you'll manage to keep from having to stay in one of Shinra's facilities for a while yet now that Sephiroth has reappeared."

Aerith looked at Tseng in slight derision.

"Are you saying I should be grateful to Sephiroth?"

"Not at all," Tseng responded with a slight smirk. "Merely stating a fact. With the Turks on Sephiroth's trail, we can't afford to try capturing you –"

"Not that you could if you wanted to," Naruto cut in. "Or have you forgotten all the times I've kept her from your grasp."

"No, I have not forgotten. I have also not forgotten that we had captured her the last time."

"A small slip on my part, I assure you," Naruto kept his eyes locked on Tseng. "I won't be letting her out of my sight again, you can be sure of that." Beside him, Aerith flushed slightly at the protective tone in his voice. Her hand snaked out and grabbed onto his, entwining their fingers together. Tseng saw this, and this time a slight smile did appear on his face.

"I'll hold you to that," he said, and while many of the others were confused, Naruto understood. He gave the Turk leader a slight incline of his head. "Well then, it looks like I'd best be off." He quickly turned to leave, but paused just long enough to throw some parting advice. "I suggest you guys stay out of Shinra's way."

As Tseng's figure disappeared within the light of the cave exit, his footsteps receding as well, the tense members of the little group fighting against world spanning corporations and evil super SOLDIERs brought back to life relaxed. Now that it was one hundred percent clear no fight was going to take place, they felt it was safe to let their guard down a little bit.

"The hell jus' happened?" asked Barret. The big man was scratching the back of his head with his non-gun arm, looking for all the world like he had just finished listening to the worlds most boring and complicated physics debate and didn't understand a single thing that came out of anybody's mouth. Yeah, he was that confused.

"You mean you haven't figured it out yet?" asked Naruto, this time looking honestly surprised. The Turks hadn't been that subtle. They hadn't been subtle at all.

Barret scowled.

"The hell you talkin' about, Blondie!?"

Naruto gave a mild chuckle, not particularly bothered by what was probably supposed to be some kind of insult to his hair color. This only served to further Barret's irritation.

"Don't you understand what the Turks just did?"

"If I did, I wouldn't be asking you," Barret scowled. "Now spill it."

Naruto chuckled some more, his grin widening with each second that passed. He looked at the group of two men, two women and one feline around him, his grin now decidingly vulpine in appearance as the whisker marks on his face stretched. When the others began looking slightly unnerved by his increasingly large smile, he gave Barret the answer he was looking for.

"The Turks just gave us our next destination."

* * *

><p><strong>Alright, chapter is done. This chapter is actually pretty AU from the video game. I'm sure those of you who have played FF7 can figure out which part I am talking about.<strong>

**Anyways, let me know how I did. Also, please be sure to check out and join my blog: Thoughts and Wonderings of a Fanfiction Writer, which is where I will be posting answers to your guys' questions and all of my thoughts on my stories, as well as giving status updates on which stories I am writing and how far along they are. The link is on my profile.**


	24. P2 A5 C5: Ninja Versus Ninja

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 2: The Search For Sepheroth**

**Arch 5: Exploring The New World**

**Chapter 24: Ninja versus Ninja**

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><p>"God damn is it good to be outta that fuckin' cave!"<p>

Naruto found himself agreeing with Barrett entirely. It had been a long trek to reach the end of the cave. More than once they'd had to backtrack when they found themselves at a dead end. Several times one of them nearly died when the ground gave way underneath them. And that said nothing about the monsters that they had found lurking about. While not difficult to deal with, the different types of beasts that lingered in the cave had been a pain.

Especially those spiders. Damn things came in swarms.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed inside that cave, as the light had come from below and not the sunlight above. For all Naruto knew, it could have been several days they had spent inside that cave.

Regardless of the amount of days that had passed during their trek to the other side of the mountain range, it was at least easy to tell the time. The sun was shining high over head, beating down on them with it's radiant rays of sunlight. It looked to be about midday.

"We should be able to make it at least a couple more kilometers before the sun goes down," Naruto said to everyone as they lingered around to take a bit of a rest after their journey through the mountains. "I want to at least get a dozen or so kilometers before resting up. According to the map we've got, Junon is a several day walk from here. Rufus already has a head start on us, so if we want to catch up before his ship takes off, we'll need to cover as much ground as possible."

"Great," Barrett groaned in defeat. "More walking."

"No complaining," Tifa chastised her former leader, wagging a finger at him. "We're all tired, but this is pretty much what we signed up for, remember? You wanted to save the world from Shinra, that means we may need to suffer a little bit to meet our goals."

"Guh, I really wish you wouldn't put it like that."

"Look on the bright side," Naruto smiled a blindingly brilliant smile. It made Barrett want to cave the blond's face in. "At least we're getting some good exercise."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LOGNS<strong>**

* * *

><p>The shrieks were the first thing that alerted the group to the fact that something was wrong.<p>

They had been walking for some time now, their formation taking on a standard battle ready line with frontline fighters like Naruto, Cloud, Tifa and Red XIII in the front while Barret took the back and Aerith stayed in the middle of the group as to act as the healer. Eventually, the vast plains of grass had become a dense forest so deep that not even Red XIII's sharp eyesight could pierce the veil of trees.

Naruto had decided to keep his Okatana at his side as they walked. He had heard tell that there were numerous monsters within forested areas around the world. It was where they tended to congregate for whatever reason. As he moved with the others, his eyes were constantly surveying the area.

He did not recognize the type of tree that surrounded them. Not surprising as he had never seen the outside world of Gaia before a few weeks ago. The trees were all very thick, their trunks easily several times thicker than most of the trees he had seen in Konoha. Each one could probably fit at least five Barrets inside of them. They were also extremely tall. The first set of branches looked to be at least fifteen meters up, followed by a second set several more meters high. Each group that came into view seemed to have more branches than the last, until the group of branches became so thick and intertwined that it was impossible to see past them. Naruto did not even know if one of those thick layers was the canopy, or if the top of the trees were beyond his eyes.

He was reminded of those trees in the Training Ground 44, the Forest of Death.

As they walked the ground underneath their feet crunched, a mixture of gravel, dirt, twigs and various plants that grew up from the ground. The ruffle caused by their clothing brushing against the local flora accompanied the sound of their breathing and the dull thud their shoes made in the earth. Thankfully, none of the plants seemed to grow above shin height, so there was no need for them to be too concerned about enemies hiding in the brush.

"Is it just me, or is it a little quiet in this forest?" asked Tifa, her voice sounding loud even though she was speaking quietly, whispering even, as if afraid that speaking too loud would bring them unspeakable horrors.

"This is why I hate forests," Barret grumbled as he stomped along behind them. He didn't seem to be paying much attention to where they were going. It was a doubt that he even cared. "They're always too damn quiet."

"Actually, forests shouldn't normally be this quiet," Naruto responded absently as he kept his eyes peeled. "There are a lot of animals that make forests their home; small mammals, reptiles and various birds. It's not unusual for a forest to be very active and noisy because of it. For there to be no sounds of nature around is unusual."

"We're likely being followed," Cloud told him, his hand already lightly gripping his Buster Blade. "Most animals have a very strong sixth sense. When a predator is near, they tend to go quiet and hide until it passes. When I was in Shinra, that was one of the ways we used to tell when some kind of monster was stalking us."

"Maybe the animals are just afraid of us?"Aerith suggested, though the way she gripped her staff showed not even she believed her own words. Perhaps it was because, as an Ancient, she was more connected to the planet than most, but she seemed to sense that there was something innately wrong with how quiet it was.

"Doubtful," Cloud grunted as he and Naruto both stopped, halting the rest of their procession. "Most animals recognize humans as unfriendly, but nonthreatening. If it were just us in the area, they would have stuck a distance of several meters away, but still continued doing what they usually do. The only time it gets this quiet is when there is a predator or group of predators in the general area. It means there are no animals here aside from whatever is stalking us."

"Cloud is right," Naruto said, crouching low to the ground and pressing two fingers against the earth. "I'm sensing multiple lifeforms with varying levels of hostility. Most of them are ground based, but there are several shifts in the atmosphere above us that tell me a few are avian in nature."

"Good to know," Barret grunted as he ready his gun arm, the mechanized hand clicking as he loaded ammunition into it and cocked it at the ready. "I've been wantin' some action fer a while now."

That was when the shrieking started. Several winged creatures could be seen darting in between the trees with impressive speed and dexterity. They looked like some kind of prehistoric bird. They were a combination of bright blue, pink and purple. Naruto could make out the general shape of the aerodynamic wings, a right sided isosceles triangle with a thick pair of cylindrical muscles near the back that looked almost like exhaust ports but ended in a single, sharp nail.

Their heads were very streamlined and smooth, with a long yellow beak and sharp features that made them look quite vicious. The rest of their body was very long, their neck almost nonexistent as the body and head seemed to flow together similar to a reptiles.

Only as the body came to and end did the shift in size differ, growing dramatically wide to allow for two prehensile and clawed legs to attach to the bottom before narrowing into a long tail with a sharp point.

Being the long range fighter of the group, Barret quickly unleashed a barrage of bullets upon the creatures, though it was to little effect. These birds of prey were very agile and more than capable of avoiding the hailstorm by swiftly flying in between the trees and using the cover to their advantage. Several times, Barret seemed to lose track of his query or get confused as to which enemy he was shooting at when they would split up.

As Naruto and the other close range fighters prepared to battle with the closing birds, several more monsters popped out from the ground. Naruto was once again reminded that this was not his world when he saw what they were; plant shaped creatures that looked like some kind of large seed or nut gone wrong.

They had a large, cylindrical body that was mostly flat and about the size of a human torso. Their bodies looked almost like it was just a giant face. There was a large trench shaped indent starting from the center of the top of their heads that ended halfway through before flowing into a large mouth that literally split it's body in half and showed off flat looking teeth set into a wide grin. On either side of the indent, which vaguely resembled a nose, were a pair of glowing red eyes.

Extending from the body were four limbs, two that looked like a series of wooden joints that ended in a pair of feet and two that looked like long, spiky vines growing out of their heads. Their feet didn't look like much, but Naruto could judge that those spikes were likely to be deadly if they hit. If this creature was anything like those found in the Forest of Death, they would likely have some kind of poison or neurotoxin in their spikes.

The creatures let out shrill wails as they rushed towards the group of humans and one feline.

Acting with the kind of speed afforded to those who are used to being in a combat situation, Naruto and Cloud met the charge head on. As the ones using the weapons, it was their job to defend the ones not using weapons as it gave them a longer reach. Their swords would allow them to keep the monsters and their vine like spikes away whereas Red XIII and Tifa would have to get in close.

The first one Naruto reached didn't stand a chance. The blond had already switched out his materia to his wind materia in preparation for some of his sword techniques. He gripped the handle of his blade as he dashed towards the monster, his body staying low to the ground to decrease wind resistance as he moved forward.

The creature flailed it's arms at him, but the blond was able to deftly avoid each lash of it's whip like arms. The first arm came in high, which Naruto avoided by simply moving to the left. The second came in low. In order to avoid it, the blond jumped into the air.

While in mid air, Naruto's body proceeded to spin. His sword came out of it's sheath without even a hiss. There were two brief flashes of light before it was sheathed again.

Two seconds later, Naruto's feet hit the ground, along with the two long segments of the monster's arms. The plant being wailed in agony as it stumbled backwards. Naruto darted forward, using the creature's pain as a distraction to get in close.

There was a flash of light, and then Naruto was running past the monster, his sword sliding into it's sheath. Behind him, the creature stood still for a single second before splitting into two even pieces.

Over on his left, Cloud was dealing with his own opponent. The plant monster lashed out at him with it's two arms. Not being as fast as his fellow blond to the bulky sword he wielded, the ex-SOLDIER was forced to block the attack with his Buster Blade.

The vines tried to wrap around the sword, but at that moment, the blade burst into flames as Cloud used fire materia to cast the fire spell. There was a loud shriek of pain as the monster's vine like arms caught fire.

It flailed about and ran around, panicking as more and more of it caught fire. Cloud focused on it, figuring out where it would run next, then launched the fireball that had formed around his blade. The decently sized ball of conjured flames struck against the monster, earning an unearthly shriek of pain before the monster's entire body was consumed by flames. When the fire died down, only ashes remained.

Even though two enemies were destroyed, there were still many more monsters around. As Naruto and Cloud split off towards their next opponents, Tifa griped a lightning materia tightly in her hand, charging up the yellow orb until sparks were being emitted from her hand. It looked almost like a Chidori, except the element covering her hand was yellow.

Selecting a target was easy. Just choose the one Naruto and Cloud were not decimating. She found one of those several meters away, screeching as it ran towards where the core of the fight was taking place.

Rearing back her fist, Tifa let out a loud yell before thrusting it forward. Because she was so far away, an attack like that normally wouldn't hit. However, when using magic, ones gains an advantage. This advantage came in a yellow bolt of lightning that shot from her fist, streaked towards the plant monster and struck it dead center in it's body.

A wail emitted from it's mouth as it was lit up like a tree on the holidays. Lightning began coruscating across the surface of it's wooden skin, illuminating the area around it. The creature twitched and spasmed and squirmed until the lightning died down, then, with a heavy thud, it fell the ground, steam wafting off it's body as it twitched once then laid still.

She wasn't the only one who had decided to launch ranged attacks using magic. Both Red XIII and Aerith had already charged up their own respective spells. With her feet spread wide, her staff held in a ready position close to her torso, was prepared to launch her own attack. She had already selected her target.

Without wasting a second, she thrust her staff forward, a bright, ice blue light shooting from it's tip. The magic struck one of the creatures, clipping it's side. Despite barely hitting it, the monster quickly froze solid as a large layer of ice spread from the point of impact to the rest of it's body.

This was Red XIII's cue. With flames spread out in front of it in an amber blaze, the red furred feline dashed forward. He struck the monster dead center, it's fragile, crystalline state exploding outwards after the fire materia magic created a large explosion the moment Red XIII's body struck it. Red XIII shot out of the explosion on the opposite side of where he started, his fur slightly singed but otherwise unharmed.

While the group of close range fighters and support types were dealing with the ground forces, Barret was still having trouble with the flying types. He had managed to take one down with a lucky shot and another by causing a tree to explode and shooting it while it was busy trying to defend itself from the debris as that was rained down on it. But the rest of the reptilian birds were still flying circles around him. As things stood, he had only just managed to keep them from closing the distance with a barrage of constant suppression fire.

Naruto saw this and quickly darted towards the flyers. He would leave the rest of the ground monsters to Cloud and the others. Right now, Barret was outnumbered and needed a hand.

Quicker than most people would be capable of following, Naruto switched out his wind materia for his standard materia. With naught but a thought and a good portion of chakra, Naruto created three shadow clones, which all jumped into the air and attacked the birds.

Up close, Naruto noticed that the birds were a lot bigger than he thought they were. They were easily the size of a human. Just how something so big could be so agile was beyond him.

Not letting their size deter him, Naruto launched his assault. His first clone used it's legs to propel it off a tree trunk and launch itself forward. Another one descended from the tree branches above and a third came in from the left upper side. Meanwhile, the real Naruto came in from the front.

The giant bird was forced to halt it's forward momentum, flapping it's great wings in front of it to slow down.

This proved to be a mistake.

The Naruto that had come in by launching itself off the trunk from the right quickly sliced through one of the birds wings. There was a quick flash of silver before the wing literally fell off as if it had been glued on and the glue suddenly became wet. Flesh tore and blood poured out of the wound. The avian screeched in pain as it was unbalanced and began to descend towards the ground, unable to say airborn with only one wing.

This was when the left Naruto came in, slicing off the other wing just easily as the first one cut off the first one.

Not even a second after it's wings were cut off, the third Naruto descended onto it's back, blade first. There was a 'slicht' sound as the Okatana pierced the creature's back. Two booted feet followed, smashing into it's back and causing the bird's descent to pick up speed. At the last second, just before the now dead monster was set to crash into the ground, the Naruto clone jumped off it's back, flipping in mid air before landing on his feet less than a meter away.

The last Naruto, the real one, did not attack the one that the others did, but used that monster to mask his attack on his real target. The one flying right behind it.

The bird in question had been forced to stop when the Naruto clones attacked the one in front if. When it's brethren was taken down by the trio of spiky headed blond clones, it flew upwards in an attempt to flee, only to run face first into Naruto, who descended upon the monster like an avenging angel as he thrust out the spinning blue sphere in his hand.

"Rasengan!"

The Rasengan slammed into the avian's beak, grinding straight through it like a drill. Within seconds the attack reached the creature's face, which it's grinding power was soon turned upon.

The bird didn't even have time to screech as it's face was ground into pulp. Blood, brain matter and skull fragments flew off from the monster's head as it was launched backwards by the force from Naruto's Rasengan. It spiraled out of control as it was flung towards the ground, crashing into the foliage with a loud thud and shattering the hard earth that it had been launched into.

Naruto descended back onto the ground, his blade unsheathed again as he surveyed the area. Most of the monsters around them were now dead. Naruto could see Cloud finishing off the last of those strange plant monsters, Barret had managed to shoot down the remaining avian by waiting until it was close to him and peppering it full bullet holes.

A little ways from where Cloud was standing, Aerith was healing a purple welt on Tifa's leg. It looked like she had been hit by one of those things spikes. Even from the distance he was at, he could see the busty young woman was having trouble staying awake. Standing guard over them as Aerith worked her magic was Red XIII.

With a sigh, Naruto sheathed his sword and stood up. His stance relaxed, his posture slackened, and he made to walk over to his comrades.

He paused mid stride after taking only a single step.

His left hand shot out, latching onto the wrist of the hand that had tried to snatch the pouch on his waist.

As the hand jerked itself out of his grip, Naruto spun around, his foot coming up in a round house kick. Short brown hair was just barely touched by his foot as the person behind him ducked.

This did not deter Naruto as he continued spinning around, his left foot coming back down and his right foot popping up to crack the figure who tried to sneak up on him with a shot to the face.

Once again it was dodged as the figure swayed backwards. Before Naruto could make to attack again, something struck the ground and the entire area was covered by a thick layer of smoke. Naruto jumped backwards, throwing himself out of the smoke with a chakra enhanced leap just in case whoever was attacking him was trying to use the smokescreen as an advantage over him.

Yet when the smoke cleared, Naruto found that the area was clear. Whoever had come had apparently decided that whatever it was hoping to accomplish was doomed to failure now that he was aware of their presence.

"Yo! Spiky! You doin' a'right over there!"

Naruto narrowed his eyes as he searched out the presence of the person who tried to take advantage of the confusing battle to attack him. Finding no one there anymore, he turned his head and shouted back. "I'm fine! Nothing to worry about!"

Barret grunted and went back to whatever it was he was doing. Probably brooding or something. Naruto took one last glance at the area where he'd had his brief interlude with the mysterious figure before turning around the rejoin his friends.

"So, even in this world, ninja still exist." A smile made it's way to his face. "How interesting."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LOGNS<strong>**

* * *

><p>"We should rest here for the night," Naruto determined after they walked through the forest of trees for several more hours. It as getting late, really late. Despite the sun not being able to peak through the canopy of trees very well, the way the entire forest had darkened to the point where it was getting difficult to see where they were stepping told him that the sun had gone down.<p>

They hadn't been attacked again since that ambush, but none of them had taken any chances and been on high alert since than. Even after night had fallen, they had continued walking and keeping their eyes open and their ears to the ground just in case there were more monsters around.

"'Bout time," Barret groused as he let the pack on his shoulders drop to the ground with a loud clang. "Been wonderin' when you'd finally let us rest."

"Let's set up camp first," Naruto began handing out orders. "Cloud, if you could use that big ass sword to gather up some wood, that would be appreciated."

Cloud offered a small nod before walking off to cut down some wood.

"Tifa, I heard a stream several meters to the West," when the busty beauty tilted her head at him, he realized she likely didn't know where West was (not surprising since this forest screwed up their sense of direction), and pointed in a specific direction, "That way. I have several canisters that I want you to fill with water."

"You got it," Tifa grabbed the canisters Naruto handed to her and tossed him the kind of wink she used to reserve for the people in her bar. "I'll be right back with the water."

"Barret," Naruto turned as the man in question grunted, "I'd like it if you and Aerith could set up the sleeping bags exactly two meters from here I'll be making a fire."

"Fine," Barret grumbled as he stomped off to the grab the sleeping bags from the back packs Cloud and Tifa had been carrying. Naruto would need to unseal his, but that was fine.

"What will I be doing?" asked Red XIII. Naruto frowned as a contemplative expression crossed his face. It was a good question. What could Red XIII do? He was a feline, meaning he had paws instead of hands. Paws weren't very good at grabbing things, so it wasn't like he could help Naruto set up the fire. What could a feline do?

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu." A clone appeared in front of them. Naruto pointed towards his copy. "I want you to go with him and check the perimeter while he sets up the seals that will alert me if any monsters are in the area. Make sure he isn't interrupted so he can finish his task."

"Understood," Red XIII walked over to the Naruto clone, then began walking off with said copy.

It didn't take much time for Cloud and the others to complete their tasks. Less than five minutes after his orders had been given and received, Cloud came back, carrying a large bundle of wood, which Naruto placed into the fire pit before lighting it all up with a basic Katon jutsu. Tifa had come back soon after, the canisters filled with water, which Naruto set around the fire pit to heat them up. Aerith and Barret had finished their work long before the other two and Red XIII was the last one to come back minus one clone, which had dispelled itself once it's task was done.

What followed was Naruto and Tifa finding a rhythm as they worked together to create a meal for the others. Out of all the members of their group, they were the only ones who knew how to cook. It was amusing for them to learn that they had been dubbed the officials chefs of their respective group after they had split up at Midgar.

The two soon realized each had their own strengths. Naruto was a lot better at working the spit and rotating the meat so that all sides were cooked evenly than Tifa due to having done this many times before when on missions. Yet, where Naruto was better at the actual cooking process, Tifa had him beat when it came to mixing herbs and spices.

It did not take long for them to figure out ho best to make the food. Tifa was given a cutting board from Naruto's trusty sealing scroll, which she used to place the meat on so she could rub it in some olive oil and various herbs and spices. When she was done, she would hand it to Naruto, who stuck the meat on a spit and placed it over the fire, where he would periodically rotate it to ensure it was cooked evenly.

To add some more to the meal, Naruto decided to also make some rice balls filled with plum sauce. Onigiri. He ended up also teaching Tifa how to make it when she expressed her curiosity.

"I'm really surprised by you," Tifa said as Naruto was showing her how to roll fillings into the rice balls. Her response was to get a single, golden eyebrow raised from Naruto.

"Why is that?"

"I guess I just never expected you to be able to cook," she looked over at Cloud, who was leaning up against a tree, his arms crossed and his Buster Blade stuck into the ground next to him. "Cloud couldn't cook to save his life. I guess I sort of expected the same from you."

"Just because we're both blond, have spiky hair and blue eyes, doesn't mean we're the same person, you know." Naruto pouted as Tifa tossed him a teasing grin. He chuckled for a moment before sobering a bit. "The reason I know how to cook so well is because I'm an orphan. After I decided I wanted to be a ninja and enrolled in the academy, I left the orphanage I was living in and never looked back. This presented a bit of a problem because I didn't know how to take care of myself. I ended up learning, of course, and one of the things I learned how to do was cook."

"At first, I could only cook simple meals," Naruto added. "I would mostly eat things like instant ramen, or rice. Later on, after my training trip with my godfather, one my of friends, Chouji Akamichi, taught me how to more dishes." He shrugged. "I guess I just sort of started learning how to cook different things after that. I got bored eating the same meal everyday, and since my... physician told me I had to stop eating so much ramen, I decided to start seeing what different kinds of meals I could make."

"It's still pretty impressive," Tifa commented. "Not many guys know how to cook. Cloud can burn water and Barret..." She winced as a loud swear emitted from Barret, who seemed to be doing something with his ammunition. "He would probably burn everything. I'm honestly not sure how he managed with Marlene before meeting me."

Naruto laughed. "I'm sure he's not that bad."

"I'm surprised you're sticking up for him on this," Tifa raised an eyebrow. "I thought you hated him?"

"I don't hate him," Naruto informed her, getting the other brow to raise. "The reason I'm so hard on him is because Barret reminds me of myself, of how I used to act before coming to this world. Back then, I was a complete goof. I was loud, reckless and tended to jump into every situation head first with no regards to the consequences my actions had for the people around me. And that was fine when I was younger and my problems weren't very serious, but when I got older and the issues I was facing became bigger and more dangerous and the enemies I had to fight became stronger, I couldn't act like I used to."

"I tried," he added as Tifa stared at him intently. "God knows I was one of the most stubborn bastards you'd ever meet. I refused to back down and I refused to change my ways." Naruto rubbed his face tiredly before looking up at the sky. "And most of my friends got killed because of it, because I made the choice to act with reckless abandon instead of making my moves more carefully. Even now, I often wonder how different my life would be if I had been just a little less reckless and a little more mature. Would my friends still be alive? Would they be happy? Would I have been able to kill the man responsible for their deaths before he killed them?"

As Tifa stared at him in open horror, a hand raised to her mouth, Naruto looked over at here Barret was tinkering with his gun arm.

"He doesn't know how lucky he is," Naruto said softly. "Had anything different happened during the events at the Sector Seven Pillar, had Aerith not gone to get Marlene, had she not given herself up so that Marlene could get away, there is a very real possibility that his daughter would be dead now. Even Jessy's survival was the result of sheer dumb luck, luck that I had been sent to this world, luck that I had met Aerith, luck that Aerith met Cloud and that she decided to be stubborn and help him reach your bar. There were so many things that could have gone wrong, that did go wrong, but because luck was with us that day, his daughter was not one of the many corpses that likely litter the ruins of Sector Seven."

Naruto sighed, suddenly feeling far more tired than he had in a long time. He had never really spoken of these issues before. Aerith already understood him, so he didn't need to say anything for her to know what he was thinking, and she was the only one she would have really talked to about this.

And just why was he bearing himself to Tifa anyways? Yes, she was a friend. He would admit that he appreciated her upbeat personality and how optimistic she was. He also respected her prowess as a fighter, but really, he didn't know her that well.

Maybe he was just tired. Tired of keeping things to himself. Tired of having people think he hated Barret. And just plain tired.

"In the end, I guess the reason I'm so hard on Barret is because I don't want him to learn the lessons I had to the same way I did," Naruto concluded. "I don't want him to realize how vast and far reaching the consequences of his actions can be by having the most precious thing in his world taken from him."

For the rest of their time cooking together, neither of them said a word.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LOGNS<strong>**

* * *

><p>Dinner that night was a little subdued. No one mentioned it, but all could sense the slight tension between Naruto and Tifa. Though, a more accurate term would be the slight tension Tifa was feeling towards Naruto.<p>

While she was more or less quiet throughout the entire meal, the blond Uzumaki remained talkative and upbeat, conversing with Cloud on what the best kind of sword polish was, or talking to Red XIII about his home in the canyons.

Mostly, Naruto spoke with Aerith though, combining playful comments with passionate looks and gentle touches that the others did their best to ignore. Red XIII had the easiest time of it, since he was pretty much used to the two of them acting like a newly wed couple by now.

"Shouldn't we decide who's going to take the first watch?" asked Cloud after dinner as they were all getting ready for bed. No one asked why they would need to set up a watch. They were in what could easily be considered enemy territory, were unfamiliar with the terrain, and it was such a standard procedure that everyone who has ever traveled the world knew that at night people took watch in shifts.

"No," Naruto shook his head before rolling up the sleeves of his arm and revealing the intricately designed seal on it. "I've set up a perimeter seal. Anything with a mass greater than small mammals and birds will set off the seal and alert me to their presence. Back when I had joined the elite forces of my village, we would use this instead of setting up a lookout to watch for enemies. And it's already been tested in this world. No monster will be able to bypass it, even if they travel underground."

Cloud nodded, willing to trust in Naruto's seals. His fellow spiky haired blond had not let him down so far.

"Hey," Tifa finally spoke up, pressing a finger to her lower lip as she looked at the sleeping bags. "I just noticed that we seem to be missing a sleeping bag."

"No," Naruto shook his head, amused. "We're not missing a sleeping bag."

"But," Tifa looked from the bags to him, then at the others. She mentally counted the amount of people in her head and subtracted that number by the amount of bags on the ground. "We only have four bags and five people."

"Naruto and I share a sleeping bag," Aerith grinned a very Naruto grin as several jaws dropped. Even Tifa's, who really had no right to be surprised since she was the one who woke them up when she found them sleeping together in the Shinra holding cells.

Then again, the Shinra holding cells only had one bed. Maybe she just assumed Aerith had decided to share it with him to be polite.

Aerith giggled to herself when no one was able to make a comment. Grabbing Naruto by the hand, she pulled him over to their shared sleeping bag, which was a bit larger than the others, and made him get in. She quickly followed suit, laying herself directly on top of her boyfriend so that she was straddling his waist.

She tucked her head underneath his chin and closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the others as they also got ready for bed. Before long, the only sounds that permeated the air were the hoots of owls and the chirp of crickets.

"Naruto?" she called out, her voice a hushed whisper.

"Yes?"

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," there was a pause. Aerith could practically feel the grimace his face made. "Just remembering things I'd rather forget."

"You're old friends?"

"Yes."

There was another pause. Aerith knew she had to choose her words carefully. Naruto trusted her, and he would answer any questions she asked, but she didn't want to reopen old wounds.

"Do you regret coming here?"

"You already know the answer to that," as if to emphasis his point, the arms that had been wrapped around her tightened. "I'll never regret coming to this world, because it brought me to you, but that doesn't mean I don't have many other regrets. I lost so many friends back in my old world all because I was acted too recklessly. So many of those friends sacrificed their lives for me, so that I could live. It's something that I suspect I'll regret until the day I die, maybe even beyond that."

"To answer your question, no, I do not, could not, and will not ever regret coming here. What I do regret is not having been able to save my friends before leaving that world. It's my only real regret."

Aerith squirmed in his grasp a bit so that she could prop herself up and look at him in the eye. The pale light from the fire cast Naruto's face in an orange glow. Yet his blue eyes remained the same, bright twin lights of glowing blue orbs like sapphires that managed to absorb the power of the sun.

Slowly, and with gentle tenderness, Aerith leaned down pressed her lips against Naruto's. She felt his body relaxed as he kissed her back, and let out a content little moan when he gently applied suction to her lower lip.

"I love you so very much," Aerith whispered to him as she pressed their foreheads together and continued to intermittently kiss the blond underneath her.

"And I love you," Naruto stared at her intently as Aerith leaned into the hand cupping her cheek. He used that hand to draw her back down so that he could kiss her again.

Soon, small kisses and intermittent pecks weren't enough for the two of them. Their tongues came into play as their activities began to get more heated and passionate. Aerith's hands soon found their way underneath Naruto's shirt, the soft digits of her finger tracing the familiar cuts and contours of his muscular chest and stomach. In return, Naruto's hands had glided along her dancer legs before settling on her small, shapely butt. There he began to caress, knead, and mold her cheeks against his palm in all kinds of delicious ways that had Aerith squirming in delight.

They would have continued their activities, and likely taken it much further than they should have, were it not for one small fact.

They were not alone.

"For the love of the Planet! Would you to knock it off! Some of us are trying to sleep!"

And just like that, Aerith and Naruto were forced to suspend their activities, for the moment at least. Admittedly, they both realized it would probably be a good idea to stop anyways. By now, their skin was sweaty and flushed and their bodies were tingling pleasantly. If they continued, it was likely they would end up going the rest of the way right there in the forest.

Aerith did not want her first time to be in a forest.

Tucking her head back under Naruto's chin, Aerith snuggled herself deeply against him. Hands were disappointingly removed from her rear end and a pair of arms found their way around her frame, holding her in a loving embrace that produced a much more comforting heat than being under a sleeping bag ever could. Before she ended up being lulled to sleep by the amazing heat her boyfriend admitted, one more ord escaped her lips.

"Spoilsport."

Because even if she did not want to lose her virginity in a forest, she still hated it when people interrupted her Naruto-time.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LOGNS<strong>**

* * *

><p>While everyone else slept, a shadowed figure darted silently through the trees. Quick as a whip, the figure leapt from tree to tree, swinging themselves around branches like an Olympic athlete swinging on uneven bars. The figure twisted and spun and jumped and twirled along the upper branches of the forest until, finally, they came to a stop just above the spot next to where Naruto and Aerith lay snuggled in the sleeping bag.<p>

Their form was difficult to make out, but with the minute rays of moonlight that managed to seep in through the cracks showed that this person was definitely of the female persuasion. The clothing they wore allowed any figurative audience to see the soft, feminine curves they possessed, the way the breasts pushed up slightly against the shirt and the athletically toned hips that flowed into a set of powerful thigh muscles.

The figure was also very short. Nearly a head shorter than Cloud, which was saying something. They couldn't be much taller than five feet even.

Her head turning left and right, the shadowed figure took in the scene down below. The fire as on it's last few embers and nearly out, soon it would burn out entirely and cast the entire area into darkness. More importantly, there was no one keeping watch. Everyone was asleep.

Perfect.

The female figure began to sleuth down the tree in total silence. She used a pair of kunai to climb down, carefully digging one into the tree before setting the other one just a few inches below it. It was done in near silence, a testament to their skills in stealth. Even the act of plunging the kunai into the tree did not cause more than a very slight 'ch, ch' noise, which could be easily mistaken for an animal.

Ever so slowly, the figure made it down the tree. Her feet touched the earthen floor with nary a sound.

She made her way over to the sleeping couple, her body crouched low to the ground as her feet glided over the dirt, gravel and twigs. She stopped in front of the sleeping bag, a quick glance showing her that the two were well and truly asleep. Then she went over to the whole reason she had been tailing them for so long.

She had seen the blond one pull materia out of the pouch attached to his hip. She did not know how he possessed, but if she were to judge by the size of the bag, he could comfortably hold up to fifteen. A fine prize, if she did say so herself.

Once again, her movements were done in complete silence as she closed in on the pouch. She reached out. She was so close. So close...

twang!

"What the ― Kya!"

That she completely missed the small loop of ninja wire that had been hidden under the leaves. She did not miss when it suddenly came to life around her ankle, yanking her off the ground like livestock.

More wires soon became visible, glinting in the moonlight all around her. As she swung there, hitting each and every wire that had been set up in the area, these wires came to life and attached themselves to her, wrapping around her arms and legs before tightening to the point where squirming even a millimeter was painful.

"I had wondered when you would finally make a move."

Her body still swaying as it hung upside down, she looked over at the sleeping bag that contained the blond and his honey and saw a pair of glowing blue eyes staring at her in amusement.

As the girl beside him began to stir awake, the blond sat up and slipped out of the sleeping bag, the cold air causing goosebumps to appear on his tanned chest.

He walked over to her, his steps measured and collected, as if he didn't have a worry in the world. Around them, the others began waking up from all the noise that she had caused. The dark skinned one seemed to be particularly grumpy as he was forced to rouse himself to consciousness

"Fuck, dammit! The hell is all that racket 'bout!?"

Yeah, that sounded about right.

The blond was in front of her now. With him so close up, she could see the smile on his face.

"Now... I wonder what we should do with you?"

She gulped.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LOGNS<strong>**

* * *

><p>Naruto watched with an amused smile on his face as the person he had captured tried to break out of their bindings. She was a young woman that he judged to be around maybe fifteen or sixteen. Her black hair as cut in a short, somewhat boyish style and she had dark brown eyes. She was wearing a white headband with a green, sleeveless turtleneck jumper that showed off her entire stomach and a pair of tan shorts with no belt and an unbuttoned and unzipped fly.<p>

He didn't know if she was doing this on purpose, but he could see very trace amounts of pubic hair because of it. Maybe she was hoping it would make a good distraction?

Over her left arm was a protective gauntlet that originated from a single pauldron on her shoulder. The gauntlet was held in place via a strap that tied across her chest and around the back. Ninja-mail mesh covered part of her right arm and left leg, and an additional piece of armor covered the rest of her thigh. On her right arm was a smaller, wrist-covering gauntlet, orange fingerless gloves, and orange sneakers with white leg warmers.

Currently, said female was not only bound by several strands of nearly unbreakable ninja wire, but also tied to a tree. She was struggling to break free, but that was only making her situation worse. The more she struggled, the tighter the wires got.

"So..." Naruto grinned, causing her to stop moving and glare at him. "You're a ninja, I'm guessing?"

"That's right!" The girl shouted at him. "I'm Yuffie Kisaragi! The best ninja in all of Wutai!"

"Wutai, huh?" Naruto chuckled. "I guess Wutai doesn't make them like they used to. Ninja that grow up in my country would kick the ass of any Wutai ninja."

That got a reaction. The girl glared at him and began thrashing about, trying to get out of the wires so she could get at him. "Hey! You take that back! Wutai ninja are the best!"

"And yet, here you are, caught in my trap," Naruto shot back with an infuriatingly smug smirk. "Face it, you might be good for a ninja from Wutai, but I'm the best god damn ninja this side of Gaia."

Yuffie stopped thrashing around and stared at him. "You're a ninja?"

"Do you know anyone else that would use kunai and shuriken as their go to weapons?" asked Naruto, gesturing towards the pouch that contained all of his ninja supplies. "I've been a ninja since I was twelve."

"Yeah... well... I've been a ninja since I was nine," Yuffie tried to look uninterested, but it was clear she was curious about him being a ninja. This as proven seconds later when she asked. "Are you really a ninja?"

"Do you want me to prove it to you?" Naruto asked, "Bear in mind that I already caught you in a ninja wire trap. I also have you tied up in such a way that you can't get to the steel cutter in your left breast pocket. And I know you've been following us for the past two days. You've mostly stuck to the trees, but you came down that once when you tried to take advantage of us being in combat to make an attempt at stealing my kunai pouch."

"I want to have a battle with you," Yuffie said, eyes narrowed. "Prove to me that you're a ninja by beating me fair and square."

"You do know that ninja don't play fair, right?" Naruto pointed out, grinning as Yuffie flushed in embarrassment. By our very nature, those who go by the title of ninja will use any and every advantage available to us in order to come out on top. If you're really a ninja, then you should know this."

"I do know that!" Yuffie tried to get over her discomfiture at being lectured. "It was just a figure of speech, geez."

"I know," Naruto chuckled again, causing her to glare at him. "Very well, I suppose I could indulge you." His finger twitched. There was a glint of light and Yuffie realized that he'd been controlling the wire from the very beginning. The chords fell away and the blond stood up, grinning down at Yuffie. "You want to see how good of a ninja I am, then come on. Follow me."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LOGNS<strong>**

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is a good idea, Naruto?" asked Aerith, looking at her boyfriend as he stood on the opposite end of a small clearing as Yuffie, who was stretching her body after it had been tied up for so long. "I don't mean to question you, but she's already tried to steal from us once. She might try again."<p>

"It wouldn't matter if she did," Naruto told his girlfriend. "It would only end up the same way. Her tied up and me standing over her in victory."

"I heard that!"

"Like I said," Naruto ignored Yuffie, smiling. "Don't worry about it."

"I'm still not convinced you should even bother," Barrett grunted. "We should just head out and leave her here."

"Wha – how could you be so cruel as to leave a beautiful maiden like me out here all alone?" Yuffied fluttered her eyelashes as Barrett, who growled at her.

"Settle down children," Naruto said, grinning as both Barrett and Yuffie turned on him to yell 'I'm not a child!' as loud as they could. When they realized what happened, both of them looked each other, flushed red, then looked away.

Naruto clapped his hands. "Well, now that we're all calm and collected, why don't we get this party started. Tifa, as the pro fighter of our group, I'm sure you know how tournaments work. If you would please?"

"Sure," Tifa cast him an amused glance. Unlike Barrett who kept complaining, Cloud and Red XIII who were indifferent, and Aerith who was worried, the busty brunette seemed to be enjoying the spectacle so far.

She stood in between the two combatants that would soon be duking it out in an all out ninja battle.

"This fight is between Naruto Uzumaki versus Yuffie Kisaragi. Are both combatants ready? And... FIGHT!"

Almost as soon as Tifa started the battle, Yuffie had pulled out several shuriken and quickly hurled them at the blond with pinpoint accuracy.

Naruto was unconcerned. He reached into his pouch, summoned a handful of kunai to his hand, and tossed them at the incoming projectiles in an almost lazy manner.

His kunai hit each and every shuriken Yuffie tossed at him.

Growling at her failure, Yuffie threw several small, black balls at the ground around Naruto, which exploded on contact and sent out a large cloud of smoke that surrounded the still unconcerned blond. Taking the large windmill shuriken attached to her back, the young Wutai ninja hurled the weapon into the cloud, hoping it would catch him off guard.

There was a loud clang from within, followed by the sound of buzz saw like spinning. Less than a second later, the very shuriken she had tossed inside came hurtling back towards her.

Yuffie gave a startled 'eep!' as she ducked, having not expected that kind of retaliation. The shuriken flew right over her head, so close she could feel the wind ruffling her hair. Talk about a close shave.

Deciding to change positions, Yuffie used a pair of grappling claws to scale one of the trees. She quickly leapt from branch to branch like some kind of monkey, tossing kunai and shuriken into the smoke filled area before settling down several meters from where she had started, her eyes narrowed. That kind of attack had to hit something. It just had to.

When the smoke cleared, Yuffie got the shock of her life when she saw that Naruto was no longer there. Belatedly, she realized that if he wasn't there, she should probably move. Before she could put thoughts into actions, however, the feeling of cold steel against her throat caused her to freeze.

"Looks like I win this contest of ours," Naruto's voice came from behind her. Yuffie shuddered. There as a pause. The kunai was removed. "Is something wrong?"

"That, was, so, COOL!" Yuffie whirled around to stare at her Naruto, her eyes growing wide as she clenched her fists under her chin. "You're just as good as the Masters back home. No, you're better than the master's back home! How did you manage to find a way out of that smokescreen without me noticing?"

"I transformed into that windmill shuriken you first tossed at me," Naruto answered. "When you dodged the shuriken, you were actually dodging me. After that, I simply watched as you peppered the area with weapons, then changed back and snuck up behind you while you were waiting for the smoke to dissipate."

"So cool..." Yuffie whispered before adopting a wide stance, one hand on her hip and the other pointed at Naruto. "Train me!"

"You want me to train you?" asked Naruto, looking a bit amused by her statement. It really took him back aways, remembering a time when a certain scarf wearing brat had demanded the same thing.

"Yes, I want you to train me! With you training me, I'm sure to become the best ninja ever! All those stuffy old jerks back home will finally realize my greatness and I'll be looked up to as a hero!" Yuffie's eyes glazed over, clearly imagining her 'triumphant' return home and beating down the 'stuffy old jerks'. Naruto knew the look quite well. It was one he used to have whenever he fantasized about things that would have never happened in real life.

"And what do I get out of training you?" asked Naruto.

"What do you get?" Yuffie suddenly looked unsure. "Um... well, how about I stop trying to steal your guys' materia?"

Naruto shook his head. "You'd never be able to with me around anyways." Yuffie puffed out her cheeks in indignation. She would too! "How about this, you help my friends and I on our quest to save the Planet and I'll train you as we travel?"

"A Quest to save the planet?" Yuffie's eyes almost literally gained stars. "That sounds so cool! You've got yourself a deal!"

"Alright then," Naruto grinned, "In that case, from now on, you must call me Naruto-sensei."

"Yes, Naruto-sensei!"

Hehe, he had always wanted to be called that.

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><p><strong><strong>I don't have much to say here. This chapter was an interlude chapter that I used to introduce Yuffie, so it's pretty short. Let me know what you think when you leave a review and be sure to check out my blog.<strong>**


	25. P2 A6 C6: The Monster of the Sea

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 2: The Search for Sephiroth**

**Arc 6: Across the Ocean**

**Chapter 25: The Monster in the Sea**

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><p>It had only been a day since Yuffie had joined their little group and she had already integrated herself with them seamlessly.<p>

"Ne, Ne, so what are you going to teach me, Naruto-sensei? Is it going to be some awesome, super powerful attack!? Or maybe you'll teach me how to create some kind of elemental shield! What about a giant tornado of fire! That would be so COOL!"

Well, mostly seamlessly.

...At least she found her niche with them. The annoying little sister. That had to count for something, right?

Right.

While some had accepted Naruto's decision to let Yuffie join them without reservation, others weren't as gung-ho about letting the girl become a member of their ragtag team of world saving misfits. It may have had something to do with the way she had tried to steal their materia. Or it could have been because of how annoying she was, constantly chatting and asking questions and just in general not acting like the ninja she often claimed to be ― weren't ninja supposed to be quiet and stealthy? Whatever the reasons were, these few people who disagreed with Naruto's decision were unable to do anything more than grumble quietly about it.

"Can't believe he's jus lettin' that girl waltz in like this."

It should not come as a surprise to anyone, but while just about everyone else was perfectly fine accepting Yuffie onto their team, albeit, they wished she was a lot quieter, Barret had been against it from the very start.

"That little ninja girl tried to steal our materia and he's lettin' her join us! Who does that? What's to say she won't just steal our materia the firs' chance she gets?" As far as he was concerned, allowing Yuffie into their group was just asking for trouble. The girl had proven herself untrustworthy the moment they met by trying to pilfer from them.

"Relax, Barret," Tifa tried to reassure her former leader. "I'm sure Naruto knows what he's doing... I think."

Barret grunted in response to her words. The action caused the busty young woman to smile in amusement before she looked over at the trio in front of them. Naruto was currently conversing with Yuffie, his hands making wild gestures as he presumably told the girl what she would be learning from him. The girl in question was looking at the young Sage with wide eyes and an awed expression. Beside them, Aerith watched on with an amused smile.

"And besides, it looks to me like Yuffie's pretty much enamored with our esteemed leader." It was true. The girl in question was looking at their current leader with what appeared to be stars in her eyes. Metaphorically speaking of course. "I doubt she would try to steal from us when doing so would upset her new teacher."

"I still don't trust her."

As Barret continued to stubbornly refuse to trust their newest member and Tifa tried to convince him to give Yuffie the benefit of the doubt, Cloud, who was walking alongside the two, sighed.

"Do you honestly think Naruto is just letting Yuffie join us without ensuring she won't be able to steal our materia if she gets greedy?" he asked. Barret and Tifa stopped arguing to look over at the other blond in their group. Seeing that he had their attention, the spiky-headed former SOLDIER member gestured towards the proclaimed sage among them. "In case you haven't noticed, he hasn't let Yuffie out of his sights for a second. Even when it looks like he isn't paying attention to her, he always keeps an eye on her. And than there's that seal on her neck."

"Seal?" the question came from Barret, whose face took on an expression of confusion.

"On the back of her neck."

Barret and Tifa both looked over at Yuffie, who was animatedly speaking with a just as enthusiastic looking Naruto. As they stared the two were able to spot the seal on the back of her neck, just barely visible above her shirt; it looked like a spiral with chain links lining the edges and several symbols that neither of them understood. It was easily the most unusual thing they had ever seen, like a tattoo, but different.

"I don't know exactly what that thing is, but Naruto explained the gist of it to me," Cloud continued speaking, his arms crossing over his chest as they continued to walk along the plains they had become accustomed to after getting out of that forest. "He said that it's an intent based seal, meaning that it will activate if Yuffie ever decides to let her greed do the talking."

"What does it do?" asked Tifa. Between the two of them, she was far more interested in learning more about what their strangely mysterious leader was capable of than Barret.

"It takes away her ability to use materia. I didn't understand a lot of what he was talking about, but basically when it activates it will 'seal' her ability to use mana until Naruto deactivates it." His eyebrows furrowed a bit as he continued talking. "He also mentioned something about it using her own chakra to activate and how it activated whenever her chakra spiked, but I didn't really understand any of it."

"I see..." Tifa didn't, but said that due to the fact that she was lacking anything of substance to say.

"Hey you guys!"

Three sets of heads turned to see Naruto looking back at them. When the blond realized he had their attention, he gestured up ahead towards what looked like a small outcropping of boulders.

"It's getting dark, so we're going to set up camp there!"

"Okay!" Tifa replied for the three of them while Barret grunted an affirmative and Cloud merely gave his assent with a nod. When Naruto turned back to his conversation with Yuffie, the young fist fighter looked up at the darkening sky and sighed.

It looked like they were going be spending another day under the stars. She liked looking at the night sky as much as the next girl, but she was really hoping that they would reach civilization soon; preferably the next day. She could really use a bath.

* * *

><p><strong>LoGS<strong>

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><p>Night had fallen on the small group of would be planet savers. The canvas that spread itself above the earth was painted a deep velvet and dotted with a million tiny, white lights. A large silver sphere also hung on this canvas, it's own rays partially eclipsing those of the stars.<p>

A small fire crackled in the midst of them and the remnants of food could be seen in the form of several bones that looked like they had been picked clean, a number of plates and a good deal of utensils scattered around the campsite. The atmosphere, while not lively, was in no way stifled. There was an easy going vibe around the small camp, even Barret had loosened up once Naruto brought out some alcohol for them to consume.

Of course, considering Barret was the only one among them who drank anything at all, maybe he was the reason Naruto had got all those booze in the first place. Nothing made friends better than getting shit-faced together.

Or watching one of them get shit-faced while the other snickered as the drunk one made a bit of a fool of themselves. Whatever works.

The friendly and light-hearted ambiance had cooled down somewhat as many of the people there went to sleep. Barret was snoring away by the fire, several empty alcohol bottles laying around him. The man had drunk quite a bit, so it was no wonder he had essentially passed out where he stood. Several feet away from the fire and Barret was Red XIII, who was simply lying on the ground, using his paws as a pillow. He didn't need any form of human sleeping equipment to be comfortable out in the open plains, not like Cloud and Tifa who were snug as a bug in a rug in their sleeping bags a good meter away from the fire. The two of them were already asleep.

Which left the last three members of this group; Aerith, Naruto and Yuffie as the only ones still awake. Aerith and Naruto had first watch and the man with spiky golden hair had asked Yuffie to stay up with them so he could confirm something.

"So what are you trying to do?" The youngest of the group asked the most experienced. Yuffie was sitting crossed-legged in front of Naruto, her back to him. She was definitely curious to know why he had asked her to turn around for him. She was even more curious to know why he had placed his hand in between her shoulder blades.

She was also trying to ignore the warmth that spread throughout her body from the touch of his palm and fingers. It was almost like the heat of the fire had been placed against her back, except unlike fire this fire didn't burn. At least not in a painful way.

It did, however, cause her pale cheeks to feel rather hot. Almost like someone had taken a blow torch to them.

"I'm checking to see if you have an active chakra network," Naruto informed the girl, his eyes closed in concentration as he prepared to do something he had only heard about in theory. "Chakra, or what you guys call mana, is actually an internal energy source located within the body. It uses a network very similar to the arteries that carry blood throughout the body."

"But why would you need to bother with that?" asked Yuffie. "I thought you were going to teach me stuff." She crossed her arms over her chest. "This doesn't sound very useful."

"That is where you are wrong. See, those materia you tried to steal from me ―" Yuffie blushed brightly at the mention of her failed attempt at theft, but Naruto ignored it for now, "― are very special in that they only work for me because I have active chakra coils. If you want to be capable of using my materia, then you need to have active coils."

"Oh... that makes sense, I think."

Naruto chuckled, causing Yuffie's face to heat up once more. For some reason, even though she was sure her new sensei was laughing at her, she didn't feel any anger towards him, quite the opposite in fact. His laughter sent strange shivers down her spine.

"It's okay if you don't get it right now," Naruto told her. "The mechanics aren't necessarily important at this stage of your training, and I'll give you a better handle on the theory later. Right now, simply understand that in order to use my materia, you need to have active coils. Hence the reason I am checking to see if you have active coils."

"I gotcha," Yuffie said, then paused. "So wait. What if I don't have active coils? Does that mean you won't teach me!?" Over exaggerated despair filled her being for all of several seconds. The idea that the new sensei she had just found, who was strong and awesome and a ninja that could probably kick her old man's ass to boot, might not teach her was an abhorrent thought.

"Of course I'll still teach you," Naruto scoffed at the idea that he would not take her on simply because she couldn't use his materia. "Even if you can't use my materia, I still have plenty I can teach you. I've got an entire handbook filled with the tricks of the trade that every ninja needs to know."

"Few." Yuffie wiped the sweat from her forehead. That was a close one. She had been worried there for a second.

"Now then, let's see what I'm working with here."

Now that he had assured Yuffie that he would still be teaching her regardless of her possible lack of active chakra coils, Naruto began to truly concentrate on the task at hand. This was going to be a delicate operation, the most delicate he had ever done. In order to discover if Yuffie had working chakra coils, he would need to send his chakra directly into her body and seek them out. If they worked, he should get a response of some kind from them, though just what that response was he did not know.

Of course, that makes it sound a lot easier than it really is. If Naruto used too much chakra, he could just as easily burn out her coils as he did discover them. That would be bad. Not only would it cripple her ability to use chakra, but it may also destroy her ability to use this worlds materia, theoretically at least. There was a chance it would do nothing, but he did not want to leave things to chance.

It could also kill her, but he didn't want to think about that.

Breathing in deeply, Naruto carefully began to circulate his chakra. He was using his neutral materia, which allowed him to use all chakra techniques that required no element. This meant techniques like the Kage Bunshin, Rasengan and chakra control exercises like wall walking and water walking. In other words, he could freely use raw chakra when this materia was stored inside of him.

"This might feel a little weird," he warned Yuffie. "Just bare with it for a little bit, okay?"

"Don't worry about me, sensei. I'm ready for anything."

Nodding just a little at her words, but not really paying attention to them, the blond-haired, blue-eyed young man got to work. Acting with far more care than he ever had before when dealing with his own chakra, Naruto extended the internal source of energy through his fingers and into Yuffie. The young girl stiffened almost as soon as his chakra entered her body.

She did not say anything, however, and Naruto felt his respect for the girl rise. He remembered when the Chunin teachers at the academy had done this to him, the invasive feeling of someone else's chakra surging rampantly through his body. It was not a pleasant feeling at all. For nearly a week, Naruto had felt tainted by the foreign chakra. That Yuffie did not react very much impressed him.

He did wonder why she was blushing though.

"It seems you do have an active set of coils," Naruto said, surprised. He had honestly not expected her to have any. No one else that he knew in this world did, but he was able to quickly come up with a theory on why she might when Aerith ―who was an ancient ― did not. "My guess is that because you're still young, your coils haven't closed off. Most people lose their ability to mold chakra if their coils aren't opened when they're in their teenage years. You being on the cusp of adulthood is likely the only reason yours are still active."

At least that was the theory he had come up with. One of the reasons the Shinobi Academy taught children as opposed to adults was for this very reason. As a child, a persons chakra coils were easily opened and very malleable. They had room to grow and expand. Once a person hit a certain age, their chakra was no longer able to grow if they had not been opened.

"Does that mean I can use your materia then?" Yuffie was very excited by the prospect of using her sensei's unique materia. The things she had seen him do were awesome. The thought that she would eventually be able to do those things was even more awesome.

There was a whole lot of awesome here.

"Not yet," Naruto decided to nip her enthusiasm in the bud. "I still have to open your coils, and because your sixteen, your chakra coils aren't as malleable as a child's. That means the process is likely going to be painful."

Yuffie gulped at the knowledge that opening her coils would hurt. "How painful are we talking?"

"I don't know," Naruto shrugged. "I was six when I had my chakra coils opened. That was the usual age this happened where I was from, though I know that some of the clans opened their children's chakra coils when they're much younger. This is the first time I've ever heard of someone over the age of ten who will have their coils opened."

"So basically, you have no idea."

Geez, talk about a comforting thought.

"Don't worry too much," Naruto assured the girl. "While it will likely hurt, it will be over with pretty quickly. I doubt it will last more than a minute, maybe two."

Yuffie deadpanned. "That doesn't make me feel any better, sensei."

* * *

><p><strong>LoGS<strong>

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><p>The journey through the grasslands lasted two more days before the group arrived at Junon. During that time they encountered a cornucopia of enemies, including creatures such as Nerosuferoth, strange reptilian birds that were incapable of flight and Zemzeletts, overly large bats with glowing red eyes and clawed wings. Neither of those monsters was very threatening in and of themselves, and the large group made short work of all enemies that came their way.<p>

After arriving at Junon, the group was shocked by what they saw.

"What is this?" Tifa's eyes were wide as she surveyed what looked like it had once been a small, peaceful fishing town, but was now a run-down little village. The buildings were all just a bunch of shacks and bungalows made from rotted out wood and rust covered bricks. The bones of large fish could be seen strung from the village like decorations, but they looked aged, as if the bones had been there for decades and no one bothered to take them down.

In short, the place was a dump.

She took a step forward, but stopped upon hearing a loud, crackling crunch that made her entire body cringe. Upon looking down, the young woman was greeted with the sight of disgusting, blackened dirt. It looked like someone had dumped several trillion tons of oil into the sand and it just sat there for centuries, corrupting the very earth until it was nothing more than a disgusting mass of waste.

"What happened to this place?" Cloud was of like mind to Tifa. He had been to Junon once or twice before back when he was still a member of Shinra, but he didn't remember this. He recalled this tiny fishing village, though he had only seen it from afar, his memories of this place did not have it looking so derelict. "This place is so run down..."

"There's a lot of despair in this place," Naruto added, his eyes scrunched shut as he tried to block out the feelings emanating off the very grounds of this village. Being a Sage of his caliber meant that even without entering the famed Nine-Tails Shroud he could still feel the negative emotions of his place: fear, despair, desperation, misery. The entire village was a pit of negativity. "The people here have lost hope."

"Naruto..." Aerith looked at her boyfriend as he grit his teeth, her eyes softening as she realized how much this place was getting to him. Sometimes his abilities were as much of a hindrance as they were a help. With his empathic personality, seeing something like this and feeling the mass of negativity the place embodied was bound to be painful for him.

The others also looked at their chosen leader in worry, but none of them got a chance to say anything as a voice they were unfamiliar with spoke up.

"That is an accurate summation of this place." Naruto's eyes snapped open at the sound of the voice. All of their heads turned towards the source to see a weathered looking old woman with more wrinkles on her skin than any of them could count walking towards them. Her cheeks were sagged and depressed, and her brow sunk so low that her eyes were forced to squint shut. She stopped a few paces away and gave the group a sad smile. "You are a very astute young man. Many of the people here have indeed given up hope."

"Do you know what happened to this place, granny?" asked Naruto, only to wince as he was promptly elbowed in the stomach. "Gah! Aerith! What was that for?"

"For being rude," Aerith replied, sighing a bit. She loved her boyfriend, but sometimes he had no tact. "You don't call someone you've just met by such a rude name."

"It's quite alright," the old woman replied, still smiling. "I would actually prefer to be called that. It's refreshing to see such a vibrant young man whose not afraid to speak his mind."

"See?" Naruto grinned at the brunette by his side. Aerith huffed, but smiled when he placed an arm around her shoulder.

"Oh my. Don't you two make a cute couple."

Naruto grinned while Aerith's cheeks became dusted a light shade of pink. Meanwhile, Tifa was looking over at Cloud with a slight frown on her face and puffed up cheeks. On the other hand, Cloud was staring at the old lady, as if he were hoping she would just get to answering the question. He was curious to know what happened to this place too.

"So do you know what happened here?" asked Naruto.

"Shinra happened here." Her answer got many of the others to stiffen. Barret released a growl while Tifa had a pained grimace on her face. Aerith's eyes were closed, but if one looked closely, they could see the barely noticeable way she worried her bottom lip. "It's all due to that city they've built above us."

At the words spoken, the group looked up towards the city she spoke of as one. They could not see much of the city itself, just the large roofs hovering over the giant, steel-gray wall that had been built around it. That meant little, however, as the city would not have been their focus anyway.

Really, how could it be when the most impressive and obtrusive object by far was the giant canon jutting out from the fortress-esque building that towered above even Junon Harbor itself.

It's steel glinting as the sun reflected off it's gleaming, polished surface, the enormous weapon looked extremely impressive and intimidating from where they stood. There was no telling how big it was, though Naruto realized that it easily dwarfed Kurama in size. Hell, it was probably larger than all the Bijuu combine, including the Juubi!

"Ever since they built that city, all of our resources have dried up. The fish no longer come here due to the waste Junon Harbor releases into the ocean, because we're always in that cities shadow we cannot grow crops, and with no crops growing all of our livestock has long since died."

The more the old woman spoke, the worse those who had just arrived felt. They had all suffered at Shinra's hands in some way, and they had seen what the large conglomerate could do. And yet for some reason, not even having first hand experience could prepare them to see more of the evils that company could commit upon the innocent.

"Many of our young have already left for greener pastures," the woman continued, causing the group to return their attention to her, "These days only the elderly, those too young to leave, and the parents of those young still live here."

The group remained silent as they listened to the lady speak. None of them knew what to say. Really, what could they say? Words would not make these people feel better, empty promises meant nothing in the face of such despair and the monstrous sight of that canon. So they said nothing, merely grit their teeth in silence.

"Ah, but I'm sure you did not come here to listen to an old lady rant about Shinra's corruption." The woman smiled, though it was a hollow one. "Please enjoy your stay here. We don't have much, but we will provide what hospitality we can."

As the old woman began walking away, Yuffie was the first one to speak. "You see, this is why I don't like Shinra. They always take, take, take, destroy, destroy, destroy. Bunch of grubby, no good bastards!"

"You said it," Barret grunted, folding his arms together and giving a nod of assent. "Glad to see that we can actually agree on somethang."

"Yeah we ― hey!" Yuffie glared at Barret after her mind replayed the words just spoken in her head. It sounded suspiciously like he had just insulted her. How rude! "What's that supposed to mean!?"

"It means what it means."

"Stop speaking in riddles, old man! You're not very good at being cryptic!"

"Old man!?" Barret sputtered in outrage before growling at the young girl. "Listen here you snot nosed little brat, I ain't no old man! I'm in the prime of my life, goddammit!"

"Is that what you keep telling yourself to help you sleep at night?" asked Yuffie, grinning slyly at Barret as he growled at her.

"Keep on talkin' girly!" Barret snarled, the barrel of his gun-arm whirring ominously. "See where it gets yah!"

"Ha! I dare you to shoot at me!" Yuffie returned his intense look with one of her own. "I'll beat you black and blue with all the new stuff sensei's taught me!"

Ever since Naruto had opened her coils a few days ago she had felt like a whole new world had opened to her. Sure, it had hurt. By Gaia had it hurt! But the pain was nothing compared to what she had gained from it. Chakra. Having gained the ability to use chakra like her sensei, she saw the world differently now. It was like she had been seeing everything in black and white all her life, but now she could see color.

And she had been itching to show just what seeing color had taught her.

By now the two were quite literally butting heads, which was kind of a funny sight if you took the time to think about it. The much taller, bulkier form of Barret was growling and pushing his forehead against the shorter and nearly childlike Yuffie who was doing the exact same thing. Sparks were flying between these two as they fought each other in a mental battle of supremacy. With both of the two being more stubborn than a pack of mules, a contest like this would only end if someone ended it for them.

Fortunately, Naruto was not in the mood for bickering.

"Alright you two, knock it off!" Naruto snapped at the pair. "This isn't the time or the place!"

The two glared at each for just a little bit longer. It almost looked like they would keep at it and Naruto would have to beat some sense into them, but eventually the two looked away from each other. Yuffie did so with a huff while Barret grumbled about disrespectful brats.

"They act like a pair of children," Red XIII sighed from where he sat on his haunches. He had been quiet for most of the journey here, as well as the explanation. The plight of humans did not interest him as much as it did the others.

"What was that!?" Barret and Yuffie spoke in unison, glaring at the red-furred feline, who merely began licking his paws.

Naruto sighed, then decided to ignore the two in favor of speaking with the people who would help him get things done. "Come on you three," he gestured towards Aerith, Cloud and Tifa. "Follow me."

"Where are we going?" asked Tifa as she and the others made to follow the spiky-haired, whisker marked blond.

"To help these people," Naruto informed them, his eyes blazing with determination. "Even if it's only a little bit, I want to help. We might not be able to do much, but we can at least ease some of their suffering."

The trio looked at each other, all of them, even Cloud, nodding in affirmation. Aerith quickened her pace to stand by Naruto's side, her hand sliding into his as she sent him a smile. "Count us in."

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><p><strong>LoGS<strong>

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><p>That night the scent of freshly cooked meat could be smelled wafting along the ocean breeze. It was a delicious scent, mouthwatering even, mixed with various herbs and spices that blended together perfectly with the meat. This very smell, which had attracted the attention of everybody still living in the run-down hovel of a village, was also the reason why the malignant emotions of despair and hopelessness had been lifted, even if only for a bit.<p>

Naruto Uzumaki grinned his vulpine-like grin as he manned the gas powered grill, which he had bought back in Kalm. He had not had the chance to use it before now, mainly because they had been all out of gas tanks at the small store he got it from, and since the opportunity to use it had presented itself in such a spectacular fashion here when he found someone who had a single tank left, the blue-eyed Uzumaki wouldn't dare to not take this chance.

Naturally that meant he was the source of this delectable scent.

It was wonderful to be presented with the opportunity to showcase his talents as a cook, and to such a wide audience as well! Dressed in an apron with the words 'Master of the grill, Dettebayo!' and wearing a chefs hat, Naruto flipped the carefully sliced cuts of meat on the grill, cooking the other end. After observing the cooked side he smiled. These would be done in just a few more minutes.

Taking his attention off the grilling food for a second, the young Sage looked out at the gathering that had come for the food. There were at least fifty people in total, most of them around the ages off forty and older, or ten and younger. That old lady had been right when she said that only those too young to leave and too old to want to leave were still living in this village. There were only about a dozen people that were around a little older than him present.

Not that these vast age differences mattered right now. Watching the people eating and talking, all Naruto saw was a group of individuals gathered together and enjoying the festivities, such as they were. From where he was observing the crowd, he could easily see the other members of his group; Tifa was sitting with Cloud as the two of them ate. They were by a group of children who seemed to be listening to the busty young woman tell a story of some kind. From the smile on her face Naruto could tell she was having a good time.

The same could not be said for Cloud. He looked distinctly uncomfortable to be surrounded by so many children. It was kind of funny.

"Ready!?"

"Yeah!"

"Let's go, horsey!"

"Awight! Here we go!"

A large grin made it's way to his face as he watched Barret moving about on all fours like some kind of quadruped, a rather large group of children riding on his back; there had to be at least half a dozen on there! He had to admit, the large, gun toting, vulgar mouthed former AVALANCHE leader had a really good heart. More and more Naruto was reminded of himself when he looked at Barret.

All the more reason not to let that man make the same mistakes he did.

Sitting off to the side and letting a young girl who couldn't be older than four or five pet him was Red XIII. Despite his comments about how he did not care about humans, he was being awfully accommodating. Then again, very few beings in this world could stand up to the wonderful and innocent smile of a little girl. They carried a power all on their own.

"...So there I was in the middle of this cave, surrounded by Shinra soldiers!"

Surrounded by another circle of children, about seven or so – as well as a few adults – was Yuffie. It sounded like she was telling some kind of story about her role in the war between Wutei and Shinra. He doubted any of her story was real, or if it was, it was likely greatly exaggerated. Still, he would not begrudge the girl for weaving a fantastical tale for entertainment purposes.

He had done that more then a few times himself.

After looking around a little more, a frown marred Naruto's face as he realized he could not find all of his companions. One of them was missing. The most important one to him.

"Are those about done?"

Ah. That would explain why he couldn't find her.

Turning around to look behind him, Naruto caught sight of Aerith standing there, her hands clasped behind her back as she leaned forward just a little bit. The long pink skirt of her dress ruffled within the slight ocean breeze along with her tresses of light brown hair. She was smiling at him, causing her beautiful green eyes to crinkle slightly.

He shook his head in slight bemusement. "It never ceases to amaze me how you can always sneak up on me like that." Aerith didn't possess even an ounce of malicious intent; Naruto didn't even think she was capable of it. And since she couldn't use chakra because her coils were permanently inoperable like most people of this planet, he could not sense her through chakra sensing either. His sensing abilities just weren't that acute.

Aerith just smiled more, causing him to grin a bit.

"Yes, they're done."

"Good," Aerith determined. Naruto raised a single eyebrow. "That means you can finally stop cooking and start eating." She gestured to everyone currently residing in the small inlet beside the ocean. "Everyone's gotten something to eat except for you."

"That is true..." Naruto's glowing blue eyes swept across the crowd once more, his sharp vision taking in all the people there. "Alright, I guess I'll stop and get some food for myself. Too bad, I was really beginning to enjoy getting to use this grill."

"I'm sure you'll be able to use it some other time," Aerith shot back in amusement. Naruto's response was to give a sheepish grin as he cut off the gas, causing the fire to put itself out, and scooped up the rest of the meat with a spatula. He put them all on a large plate, then grabbed three decently sized slabs for himself. Absently, his nose inhaled a bit of the scent wafting from his plate. This meat was surprisingly good considering it was made from monster remains.

As he followed Aerith over to one of the tables, his head panned off towards the ocean. His walking slowed to a stop upon spotting an anomaly by the water; two actually. The first was a little girl who looked to be about ten or twelve, and the second was a strange animal; a fish of some kind, with a sleek body and a long gray beak. The girl was trying to feed the animal some monster meat, and it wasn't eating it.

"What's wrong Mr. Dolphin?" asked the little girl as she waved the meat in front of the sea creature. "Don't you want some food?"

Having realized that Naruto had stopped following her, Aerith looked back and noticed what her boyfriend was looking at. Smiling, she walked over to him and grabbed his hand. The blond turned his head upon feeling her fingers lacing through his. He looked at her, their eyes connecting and a silent conversation taking place. After a second or two, he was wearing a large grin to compliment her smile.

A second later, the pair made off towards the girl, stopping directly behind her.

"I don't think Mr. Dolphin likes that kind of food," Aerith told the girl, who looked up at her upon realizing the two of them were standing there.

"He doesn't?"

"I don't think so," Aerith smiled gently, "But you know what he would like?"

The little girl shook her head.

"Fish."

As the words were spoken, a small cloud of smoke appeared before them. The two turned to see Naruto kneeling on the ground, his hands buried elbow deep in the white smog. When a stiff wind blew the residual smoke from the seal activating away, the Sage removed his hands to reveal a small pile of fish.

Picking one up, he held it out to the girl. "Here, try feeding him this."

The girl took it, not even seeming to be bothered by how slimy it felt in her hands. Most girls would have probably shrieked, but not this one. Instead she held the fish like she would anything else, eying it curiously before turning back to the Dolphin.

"Here, Mr. Dolphin! Have some fish!"

At the sight of what looked to be some kind of bass, the dolphin pumped it's tail to make most of it's body ascend above the water's surface. It then, while still managing to stay above the water's surface, moved as close to the beach as it could and opened it's mouth. Seeing this, the little girl giggled and smiled brightly.

"Here you go!"

Bringing her hand back, she threw the fish with an underhand toss. The slick, aquatic organism flew upwards in a parabolic arc, ascending nearly a meter above the water's surface. At the apex of it's flight, the dolphin jumped into the air and caught the morsel before dropping nose first back into the water.

The little girl clapped at seeing the incredible display and began throwing more and more fish above the water, all of which were caught by the marine mammal.

Naruto and Aerith stood back and watched as the girl fed her friend. The blond decided to finish his food while watching, and Aerith was merely content to stand by his side as he used tiny blades of wind to cut his food before spearing it with his fork. It was a terribly childish way to use his materia, but that had never stopped him from doing something before, and it wouldn't stop him now. By the time the girl was finished feeding the dolphin, the Uzumaki ninja had also finished his own meal.

The girl turned to look at them with a beaming smile on her young face. It was a sight that caused the two adults to smile as well.

"Thank you very much for the fish, Mr!"

"Mr?" Naruto said the word in distaste, like he had tasted something foul. Aerith giggled into her hand at the expression on his face. "That makes me sound so old. Why don't you call me Naruto instead."

"Naruto?"

The girl tilted her head slightly to the left, her expression an inflection of curiosity.

A second later she was beaming again.

"Alright! And my names Priscilla!" The girl, Priscilla, turned to look up at Aerith. "What's your name pretty lady?"

"Aerith," said pretty lady smiled. "And is that dolphin over there a friend of yours too?"

"Yeah!" Priscilla's head nodded eagerly, bobbing up and down with the kind of enthusiasm only a child could produce. "His name is Mr. Dolphin and he's my best friend in the whole world!"

And thus the two began listening to Priscilla as she talked about Mr. Dolphin.

It would be almost an hour later that they were finally free when Priscilla's parents came by to take her home.

* * *

><p><strong>LoGS<strong>

* * *

><p>"Thank you so much for everything you have done for us," the owner of the small inn located within the little town that was overshadowed by Junon Harbor bowed before the group. Coincidentally, he was also the grandfather to Priscilla, who had already gone to sleep at the house belonging to her parents.<p>

"It's fine," Naruto grinned as he waved off the man's attempted thanks. "We couldn't just stand around doing nothing, you know?"

"You are very kind, young man," the proprietor of the inn sniffled for a second. A hand came up and wiped away a tear that came to his eye. "If there is anything I can do to help you, please do not hesitated to ask."

"Well..." Naruto rubbed his chin in thought. "We could use a place to stay for the night. We'd need at least three rooms..."

"Consider it done!" The man said with an enthusiasm he had been lacking hours before. Naruto blinked. So did the other members of his group. "No one ever really comes here anymore, so our inn has more than enough room to accommodate all of you!"

"Oh... thank you," Naruto grinned as he turned to look at his friends. "See that! Now we've got a place to stay."

"Yes, yes," Tifa smiled at the spiky, golden-haired man in amusement. He looked almost like a child with that dopy grin on his face. "We see that."

Barret made his own grumbling comment. "Look at him, grinnin' like some kind of idiot. Ya sure we should have made this guy our leader?"

"I do not see why not," the comment came from their resident feline. Red XIII looked at the blond man with the glowing blue eyes thoughtfully. "We know that he can be serious when he needs to be. And his happiness is rather infectious. Even I am feeling strangely affected by his ongoing enthusiasm."

"And besides, sensei is awesome!" Yuffie added with a cheer. "Who else could possibly be our leader when no one else is as cool as he is?" She was still starry-eyed over the fact that she was being taught by a ninja of his caliber. Oooh! She couldn't wait to get back to Wutei and show everyone how powerful she would become under his tutelage!

"Grr! Whatever!" Barret crossed his arms over his barrel of a chest and glared at nothing in particular. Naruto ignored his pouting and the comments as he turned back to look at the owner of the inn.

"So how much will three rooms cost?"

"No cost."

Naruto paused as he was just about to unseal his frog wallet, Gama. He looked at the man, blinking. "I'm sorry, I don't think I understood. How much was it again?"

The man chuckled at Naruto's stupefied expression. "It's free of charge."

"I can't let us stay for free," Naruto scratched the back of his head, looking away awkwardly. "I would feel bad if I didn't pay you. Like we were freeloading or something."

"After everything you have done for us, it would not be free loading or anything of the sort," the man replied firmly. Before Naruto could even begin making another protest, he started speaking once more. "Now why don't you all sit down. I'll have my wife make you all something to drink. The rooms will be ready in about an hour or so."

With that, the man walked off, leaving Naruto to stare after him with a sullen expression.

"Does it really bother you that much?" asked Aerith, leaning down so she could look up into her boyfriend's eyes as he looked at the floor. "Not paying for room and board, I mean?"

"If it were anyone else, probably not," Naruto admitted with blinking eyes as he saw Aerith's green irises staring up at him. He straightened, the light-haired brunette following his example, then sighed. "It's just that these people don't have much to begin with. I feel bad staying here for free when they really can't afford to let us do that."

"Hmm..." Aerith smiled as she cupped his cheeks with her hand, directing his face so that he was looking at her. Glowing blue eyes blinked several times as they stared into the warm green of the last ancient. "You really are too nice for your own good. You know that?"

"Heh..." Naruto's lips peeled back to form a small half-grin, half-smirk, "So I've been told."

Green eyes strayed to those lips; held back as they were in a small grin, Aerith could not help but think they were the most tantalizing pair of lips she had ever seen. Her tongue poked out to wet her own as she felt a nearly overwhelming urge to place a kiss upon those lips. It was an urge she had absolutely no intention of denying.

"And there they go again," Tifa didn't know whether to coo at the obviously adorable and tender moment, or sigh as she was once more reminded that Aerith had something she was lacking.

At that thought, her eyes strayed over to Cloud, who looked distinctly uncomfortable at seeing such affection being displayed in front of him. The poor blond looked like he wanted to run out of the room. It was very different from Naruto, who would have probably cheered or done something equally ridiculous had he seen two people kissing.

"I doubt they even realize there's an audience," the words were still spoken to herself, though if the way Cloud's head turned towards her were any indication, he had obviously heard them. As he looked over at her, Tifa could not help but give an amused smile as she gestured towards the love birds that seemed to have blocked out the rest of the world in favor of each others lips. "Think they even realize they're still standing in front of us?"

Cloud looked back at the pair once, taking note of how they were wrapped around each other, practically melded into one form. It wasn't just their lips that were locked, the rest of their body seemed to come together as one as well. If not for the distinct shift from one color scheme of clothing to the next, he would have almost assumed they were a single entity.

After a moments contemplation, he shook his head. "No. They've probably forgotten we even exist by now."

Tifa smirked at his answer. She had been thinking the exact same thing.

"I know, right."

Of course, they were not the only pair that had something to say.

"Oooh!" Yuffie was practically biting her hand as she glared at the brunette smooching her sensei. "I can't believe she's kissing my sensei again! And in front of me... again! Who does she think she is!?"

"You've been traveling with us all this time, but you're still not used to it?" Red XIII phrased his words as a question, but it sounded more like a statement. "I'm surprised. They do this every day, several times every day. They seem to have trouble keeping their hands off each other for a single hour." The red furred feline looked thought. "Come to think of it, unless there is a monster or something to fight, they are almost always like this." He shook his head. "Is the human mating cycle really this long?"

The others just gave him a funny look before someone, Barret, huffed in disgruntlement.

"Whatever. Let those two do whatever the hell they want. I'm getting' a drink!"

With that declaration, the group soon followed him into what looked like a small, dingy lounge area with Yuffie being the last to leave.

Aerith and Naruto were still caught in each others arms.

* * *

><p><strong>LoGN<strong>

* * *

><p>"I can't believe you two are still acting like that after all this time," Tifa shook her head in a mixture of emotions as she looked out across the seat she had taken and gazed on Naruto and Aerith. The two of them had finally realized what they had been doing a few minutes ago ― fifteen minutes after everyone else left and only after they were interrupted by the old proprietor bringing them all drinks ― as well as the fact that everyone else had left and quickly went into the lounge to join their friends.<p>

Of course, the word lounge really didn't accurately describe the place they were sitting in. Run-down, beaten up old dive was more like it; the tables and chairs were old and rusted over, the overhead ceiling was covered in grime and stains, the carpet was ragged and had patches missing from it, everything looked outdated and old. They didn't say anything though. It would be rude to comment on how poorly maintained this place was, especially when it was through no fault of the owners.

While Aerith blushed at the implications Tifa's words had, as well as the fact that they were completely accurate, Naruto merely grinned a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his head. "Well, can you blame me?" he asked before gesturing over to Aerith. "I mean, look at her; Aerith's the most amazing person I know! She's so kind and compassionate, not to mention absolutely gorgeous! How could I not want to shower her with love and affection every chance I get?"

His words had two affects. The first was that redness on Aerith's cheeks not only gained a near luminescent brightness, but the color also spread to the rest of her face and crawled down her neck. The second was that Tifa's face soon followed those of the other female there.

Yuffie also blushed, but hers was of anger. Her sensei should be saying those things about her!

"W-Wow," Tifa stuttered out, her eyes wide in mixed shock and embarrassment. "That's some really deep stuff." She looked over at Aerith who, while her face was lit up like a thousand suns, had a radiant smile on her lips as she looked at her boyfriend. The busty woman shook her head, then looked back at Naruto. "You must really love her, huh?"

"Of course I do," Naruto stated, blinking. "I thought we had already established that?"

"Yeah, well," Tifa's face was feeling very hot under Naruto's gaze. His blunt proclamation had really done a number on her, and she wasn't even the one it was directed at! "I knew that, but what I mean is that... I knew you liked her, but I didn't know it was that... that... powerful. You know? I thought it was kind of like those first romances you have where you think you're serious about it, but it turns out it was just a fleeting love. You know?"

Naruto tilted his head to the side, contemplating. Aerith, Tifa and even Yuffie were now leaning in as they awaited his response, each wondering what he would say now.

"I guess, I can see where you're coming from... sorta," Naruto admitted. "But I've never really been like that. I'm not the kind of person who allows himself to love fleetingly. Call me selfish, but I know what I want in my partner, and I'm more than willing to fight to keep her with me. Aerith is the person I want to be with for the rest of my life, and I'm not willing to give that up for any reason." He crossed his arms and nodded to himself. "That's all there is too it."

As the girls swooned and cooed ― yes, even Yuffie was prone to swooning despite not being the recipient even though she clearly wanted to be ― Barret snorted into his mug of ale before taking a long, deep swig. The alcohol sloshed over the sides a bit, running down his mouth and into his beard. The large, dark skinned man with the gun arm didn't pay this any mind as he chugged the entire content of his mug down like it was nothing.

"Ah!" He sighed deeply as he slammed the now empty drink back onto the table. "Nothin' like a good, hard drink to set the mind at ease." He glared over at where Tifa and Yuffie were asking what appeared to be very embarrassing questions to Aerith and Naruto. At least, they seemed to be embarrassing judging by the blush on Aerith's face. Naruto just looked confused. "I'm gonna need it if this keeps up. What's up with those two anywaysh? Naruto ain't thash great..."

"It looks like the alcohol is beginning to affect you," Cloud observed as he took a slow sip of his own beverage. He had been nursing it for nearly fifteen minutes now, unlike Barret who had just chugged down his fifth mug. And they were big mugs too.

"Noneshensh!" Barret rumbled, his voice slurring even more. "Thish ishn't even closhe enough ta getsh me drunksh. Hey barshtender! Getsh me anosher drink!"

Cloud sighed. "There is no bartender, Barret." As he spoke, his eyes discarded Barret for a second to look back at Naruto. Observing the other blond it was easy to see why people, girls especially it seemed, were taken in with him. Aside from being strong, knowledgeable, and a skilled fighter, he had charisma and tended to hand out high paying compliments with ease.

Still, Cloud wondered if Tifa and Yuffie would swoon as much as they did now if they realized Naruto wasn't really saying those things to give out compliments. The young Sage was as blunt as a hammer. Everything he said was exactly what he was feeling. He wore his heart on his sleeve and simply wasn't afraid of stating exactly how he felt or what he thought regardless of what others might think.

But then, maybe that was what appealed to them, so long as he said the right things. Cloud didn't really know. He had never thought much about romance.

As the conversation being held by the group continued, an elderly woman with many wrinkles lining her aged face and wearing a drab gray gown, walked up to them and gave a small bow.

"Your rooms are all ready. If you will follow me."

The group soon stood up and followed the woman out of the small lounge, their footsteps echoing off the walls. They soon arrived in a small hallway that held several doors, three in total.

"These are your rooms," she gestured to the three doors. "Unfortunately, none of them contain two beds."

"I suppose that's fine," Tifa said, "I don't mind sharing a bed with Aerith and Yuffie." It wasn't like it was all that unusual. While it had been a while since she'd had a sleep over quite like this, Tifa did remember when she was younger and used to share a bed with her girl friends when they were over for the night, or visa versa.

"Actually," Aerith began correcting her chesty friend. "I'm going to be sharing a bed with Naruto."

"Huh?" Tifa looked confused for a moment, but then her eyes widened. "But if you're sharing a bed with Naruto, who am I going to sleep with!?"

"And just why are you sharing a bed with Naruto anyways!?" Yuffie demanded to know. Naturally, her question went ignored.

The spiky male with golden hair and his girlfriend looked at Tifa, who felt herself pale. Was it just her? Or were Aerith and Naruto wearing near identical grins?

A shiver ran down her spine and she felt dread welling up inside of her chest.

"Cloud," the pair said in unison. At the answer the two gave, several sets of eyes widened. The largest pair belonged to Cloud and Tifa. The two looked at each other, their eyes almost identical in their wideness, then quickly looked away as the redness on their cheeks intensified to near atomic levels.

"Oh no," Tifa tried to glare at the two. When their grins just widened, she began waving her arms defensively in front of her face. "No, no, no, no! There is no way I am sleeping with Cloud! Absolutely not! You can't do this to me!"

"Of course we can," Naruto smiled, "Besides, you don't need to worry; Yuffie will be there too."

"WHAT!?"

* * *

><p><strong>LoGN<strong>

* * *

><p>"I can't believe they did this to me!" Tifa was nearly crying as she sat in the bed provided to her. It was small, lumpy, and nowhere near as comfortable as her sleeping bag, which really just went to show you how poor the quality of these beds were. "What did I do to deserve this!"<p>

From where he was kneeling on the floor, spreading out his sleeping roll, Cloud sighed. "Look, Tifa, I know you don't like this. I'm not particularly fond of it either, but it seems the decision has been taken out of our hands. All we can do now is make the best of our situation."

"Oh, shut up, Cloud!" Tifa snapped. "Don't you realize how humiliating this is for me!? I've never had a man sleep in my room before!"

"Oi! What am I? Chopped liver?" asked Yuffie. No one answered her, causing the young girl to frown. Why was everyone ignoring her whenever she asked them a question?

"But didn't you sleep with myself, Barret, Biggs and Wedge back in the _Seventh Heaven_?" asked a confused Cloud.

"That was different!" Tifa flushed red, whether from anger or embarrassment was unknown. "And I wasn't the only female there, Jessy was too, you know!? And don't make it sound so vulgar!"

"Vulgar?" Cloud tilted his head in confusion. "But all I said was ―"

WHAM!

Cloud was unable to say anything more as Tifa threw a pillow that smacked him flush in the face. The pillow was light so it didn't hurt, but damn if she couldn't throw hard.

"I don't wanna hear it! I don't wanna hear it!"

The busty young woman quickly lay back down on the bed and covered her head with the only other pillow on the bed.

"Hey! That's my pillow!"

"Look," Tifa ignored Yuffie and turned away from the girl as the ninja in training tried to retake her pillow. "Just stay on the floor and I'll sleep here and when tomorrow comes, we can pretend this never happened."

Not really sure what he had done wrong ― or was it something he said? ― Cloud quickly agreed. With that, the three of them settled down for the night.

Or at least, they tried to.

It was very hard to settle down when there was a series of loud thumping in the room next to them, followed by a very loud gasp which was proceeded with a loud, pleasure filled moan that seemed to embody the very essence of the word erotic.

Three sets of faces lit up the small room like beacons in the dark interior.

"AND WOULD YOU TWO SHUT UP! FOR THE LOVE OF GAIA, THESE WALLS AREN'T VERY GOOD AT BLOCKING OUT SOUND YOU KNOW!"

* * *

><p><strong>LoGN<strong>

* * *

><p>The next morning Naruto Uzumaki woke up on a lumpy mattress situated in a room that smelled of rusted metal, old residue, and had very little light. Despite this and the several other reasons he might have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, he was content.<p>

The reason for this was currently in his arms. Spooning him, her back against his chest, wearing nothing but a large T-shirt and white panties was Aerith. One of his arms was hanging over her shoulder and curled upwards, ending with his hand firmly cupping her left breast. He could feel the modestly sized and well developed boob as it rested within his palm, a perfect fit for his hand; it was just large enough that it swelled out of his hand, but not obscenely huge like a certain busty young barmaids.

His other hand was currently buried in her panties. Much like the hand cupping her bare breast, this one was pressed firmly against the flower petals of her womanhood. This hand was also wet due to his ministrations the previous night.

Thinking of last night had Naruto wanting to both smile and frown. Last night had been amazing; he and Aerith had deepened their relationship and physical intimacy to beyond what it had been before. They had finally explored more of each other last night, Naruto remembered how it felt to have Aerith's hands holding him, rubbing him in ways that made him feel like he was going to burst; and he in turn had explored his girlfriend's body without all those pesky clothes. He was sure that had they been allowed to progress, Aerith would no longer be a virgin.

Naturally Murphy had decided to fuck with him by throwing an angry former barmaid with incredible martial arts skills at him. How was he to know that the walls weren't sound proofed? Sure, they looked like crap, and he could actually hear the wind flowing through the holes in them, but he had been busy with more important matters.

Like introducing Aerith to the world of sexual pleasure.

Still, perhaps it was better that they had been interrupted. Naruto wanted to take that final step, and he was sure that Aerith did too, but he wanted their first time to be special; not a moment of passion in a dinky, run-down room. Yes, it was probably a good thing that Tifa had alerted them to the fact that she could hear them when she did.

That still didn't mean he had to like it.

Removing his hands from Aerith's boob and mound respectively, the young Sage pushed himself into a sitting position. The bed creaked slightly as he moved, but nothing else.

Now more or less leaning over the still sleeping form of his girlfriend, he could see her face as she dreamed. There was a small, content smile on it. Actually, it was kind of large. He wondered what she was dreaming about? Regardless, she really did look stunning like this, so peaceful and beautiful. He almost felt bad about what he was going to do to her.

Almost.

Leaning down, Naruto took Aerith's ear into his mouth and began to gently nibble on it. Aerith twitched against him, but didn't respond otherwise.

Grinning despite not succeeding in waking her up, the whisker marked Uzumaki switched targets from her ear to her neck, finding the small sweat spot just under the curvature of her jaw and suckling on it. This got a more provocative response as Aerith's mouth opened and she released a breathy sigh. She still didn't wake up, so Naruto decided to use more drastic measures.

One of his hands quickly found it's way under her shirt. He pressed his palm flat against her firm, taut tummy. He could feel the goosebumps rise up on her skin as her flesh met the searing heat of his hand. While his mouth continued to work over her neck, which was beginning to cause more beautiful sounds to escape her lips, his hand moved up her stomach slowly, oh so slowly, before it arrived at it's intended destination.

A loud gasp escaped Aerith's delicately parted mouth and her eyes flew wide as two fingers tweaked her left nipple. Her surprise was such that she almost started struggling against the very welcome and pleasurable feeling.

"Morning, love," Naruto's husky voice whispered against her ear. Aerith instinctively turned her head and was soon met with a pair of lips. Knowing now that this was the man she had fallen in love with several years ago, the light-haired brunette began kissing back.

As their mouths and tongues began that age old dance; touching, rubbing, pushing and pulling against each other, both of Naruto's hands got busy. His right hand was still firmly grasping her bosom, skillful fingers kneading her flesh as his finger grazed over the sensitive and stiff nub. Meanwhile, his left hand had slipped into her panties and was now rubbing her most vulnerable spot.

"N-Naruto..." Aerith pulled back to speak. "We shouldn't... not here ahn!" The beautiful symphony her voice wanted to make was just barely stifled by the girl biting her lip, making her gasp instead of cry out to the heavens.

"It's fine," Naruto murmured as he kissed his way down her neck. He reached her shoulder, which he lightly bit, which did not help his girlfriend at all in stifling the chorus of music she wanted to unleash. She felt like a harp and he was the one plucking her strings. Or perhaps it was caressing in this instance.

"Oh... b-but... we really shouldn't be do ― oh!"

Aerith's eyes went wide as saucers as Naruto entered a single finger into her. One finger quickly became two and he soon began to pump them both.

"OH ― Mmmph!"

Her cry of ecstasy was hampered when Naruto clamped his lips over hers. Rather than be surprised or startled by this, Aerith just went with the flow, kissing him back just as hard as he was her. And with her mouth and tongue otherwise engaged, any sounds that were produced ended up being muffled and would not extend beyond the small bedroom they were using. Hopefully.

Aerith's hips bucked wildly against Naruto's hand as his skilled fingers drove her to delirium. Her body moved in rhythm to the pace her blond lover set. Before long she felt it, the coiling knot in her stomach that felt like it was ready to explode, the taut string that was set to snap. Having felt this once last night before their interruption, she knew what was coming.

And despite knowing it was coming this time, she was still in no way prepared for it. Her mind exploded in an array of sensations that she could not possibly describe using any word in the human vocabulary; it was beyond terms like pleasure, ecstasy and sexual gratification. Her eyes saw only white; for those several seconds, Aerith was blinded as her mind tried to comprehend the feeling her body was undergoing and failed utterly. Her body writhed and spasmed as it tried to ride out the extreme sensations of her second ever orgasm.

When she finally did come down from the extreme heights she had been sent to, her body slumped, completely spent. Her mouth breathed out in harsh pants as she tried to take in some much needed oxygen. Despite feeling like she had just run 200 miles in a single day, she felt a satisfaction deep within her that she was sure she would never get tired of.

After a certain point, Aerith became aware of the hand gently stroking her hip. It was calloused from years of hard work and combat. It was familiar and comforting as well. Not to mention gentle and warm.

"Naruto..." the word came out as a soft sigh. Soon enough, the grinning face of the blond in question came into view.

No words were spoken as Naruto leaned down and placed a soft, ephemeral kiss upon her lips. Aerith tried to return it as best she could, but she was still tired from her pleasant wake up call.

"So..." Naruto's face was set in a Cheshire cat grin before he leaned don and kissed her again. When he pulled back, the grin was set in place once more. "How did you sleep?"

"Wonderfully," Aerith sighed into their next kiss. She really did love how affectionate her boyfriend was. "And you?"

"Any night I get to sleep with you is perfect." It was a pretty corny thing to say, but she knew that Naruto wasn't saying that as some kind of post-sex line or something. He really meant it, which made it actually sound kind of sweat.

"That was really corny, Naruto."

That did not mean she wasn't going to tease him about it.

"Yeah," Naruto chuckled sheepishly. "Sorry about that, I couldn't think of anything else to say."

Because Naruto was just too cute with that sheepish look on his face, Aerith kissed him again. "S'okay." One kiss was soon followed by another kiss, and another one, and another one. Before too long, many kisses became one long, languid kiss that, while less passionate than the previous ones of a few seconds ago, was also a lot more sensual as well.

"I really wish we could stay like this," Naruto murmured after their long kiss had ended.

"So do I."

"But we're going to have to get up soon," Naruto sighed, "And we're going to need a bath." Aerith could not help but agree; she was feeling very sweaty, and sticky.

With one last kiss Naruto stood up.

"Wait here while I see about drawing us a bath."

Aerith smiled as she heard him say 'us'. She watched as he walked towards the door, but stopped him before he could open it.

"Naruto?"

He turned to look at her, his gaze inquiring. "Yes?"

"Pants?"

Naruto blinked at her for several seconds, confusion more than evident in his eyes. Another several seconds followed that before he caught the draft blowing across his lower region. He looked down at himself, then blinked, once.

"Ah," Naruto murmured, his face flushing as he realized he had been about to walk out into the hall in the buff. That would have been embarrassing, especially if anyone else was awake to see him. "I guess I should put some clothes on."

"Yes," Aerith giggled, "Maybe you should. I don't want Tifa or Yuffie seeing you like that."

"You're just afraid they'll get funny ideas," Naruto teased as he found his boxers and pants from the previous night and put them on.

"Actually, I'm afraid they might die from shock," Aerith informed him. In response to her words, Naruto stuck his tongue out at her before leaving the room. She giggled some more before Naruto left the room, closing the door behind him.

Ah, young love.

* * *

><p><strong>LoGN<strong>

* * *

><p>Naruto returned to the room several minutes later carrying two buckets that were filled nearly to the brim with warm water.<p>

"They don't have a shower installed," he informed Aerith upon noticing her inquiring look. "So instead of taking a bath or shower, I figured we would just get clean like this." So saying this, he set the buckets down beside him and began rifling through his scrolls.

"And by like this, you mean like what we did when we couldn't find a stream to wash up in?"

"Yep," Naruto popped the 'p' as he pulled out a scroll labeled _soap&shampoo_, set it on the ground and unfurled it. Less then a second later three bottles revealed themselves to their eyes as Naruto unsealed the contents of the scroll. "Unfortunately, I won't be able to wash your hair."

"I guess that's fine," Aerith sighed a bit. She had been looking forward to getting a more thorough cleaning in a real bathtub. Still, there was little she could do about that. "It can't be helped, right?"

"Right."

What followed soon after the conversation finished was Aerith stripping down, exposing herself completely to Naruto's eyes. Not that she was alone in this, as her blond-haired boyfriend also removed his clothes. Equal rights and all that.

The two washed each other off, using some rags and the now soapy water to help wipe off the worst of the dirt, grime and stench that covered them from not only being out in the plains for a couple of days but also their previous activity that night and this morning.

"I ran into Cloud on my way back," Naruto told her, grinning as he looked into Aerith's green eyes. The girl in question was now lying on her back as Naruto straddled her legs and ran the warm, wet, soap covered rag over her body. He paid special attention to certain areas, and from her breathy sighs and stifled moans he received for his efforts, she appreciated it as much as he did. "He was pretty red. I don't think we were as quiet this morning as we should have been."

"It was your fault," Aerith whispered as she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations of Naruto cleaning her. It wasn't as good as what he could do with his hands, that rag as getting in the way, but it was still very pleasant.

"Or maybe you should have just kept more quiet," Naruto teased. Aerith opened her eyes to mock glare at him, making the young Sage chuckle. "Or maybe it was my fault."

"Good boy."

When the two were finally clean, at least insomuch as they were able to get clean with their limited cleaning supplies, they got dressed in a new pair of clothes and left the room.

No one was in the hallway when the exited their room, thus they were unimpeded as they walked to the small lounge where Cloud, Tifa and the others were already waiting. One thing the pair noted as they entered the room was that all of their companions were red-faced, even Red XIII, though that could just be due to the fact that he had red fur.

"Can you two at least try to keep your hands off each other from now on? At least when you know other people can hear you?" was the first thing said to them upon their arrival. Naturally, that came from Tifa.

"What she said," Barret grunted. Even with his dark skin, the redness on his cheeks was easily discernible. "I don't wanna wake up and hear the two of you doing _that _first thang in the mornin'. Fuckin' seriously."

"Gonna kill her. Gonna kill her. Gonnakillher! Gonnakillher!" That was Yuffie. She was glaring daggers at Aerith.

"I'm sorry," it was clear he wasn't. While Aerith might be feeling a bit embarrassed that they had been heard, Naruto had stopped caring if people heard or saw what he got up to in the bedroom. Actually, he took that back; he didn't care so long as they were female or didn't see Aerith. If either Cloud or Barret had got a glimpse of his girlfriend nude, all bets would be off.

He would shove three feet of sharp steel up their ass.

Barret grunted while Tifa merely frowned at him. Both clearly realized how unapologetic he truly as from his tone, but they couldn't really say anything to make him stop, could they? It wasn't like they could control his every action.

"Since we're all awake, let's get some breakfast and come up with a plan to sneak into Junon Harbor undetected."

Breakfast consisted of several bagels and muffins that Naruto had sealed into his food scroll before leaving Kalm. After unsealing the contents, he bade everyone to grab something before getting some food himself.

"Cloud," Naruto got his fellow spiky-headed blond's attention while the rest grabbed whatever they felt like eating from the large plate in front of them. "You've been to Junon before during your time in SOLDIER, right?"

"A few times," Cloud admitted as he grabbed a bagel and some spread.

"Are there any ways for us to sneak in? Maybe a backdoor or something along those lines?"

After thinking about the question posed to him for a moment, the younger man shook his head. "Not that I know of. We always went in through the front gate, which is heavily fortified and guarded against intrusion. Back when I was in SOLDIER, they used to have daily pass-codes that had to be used in order to enter the city. If you didn't have the pass-code, you wouldn't be able to get in." He paused for a moment, then shrugged and finished spreading the spread across his bagel. "I suppose we could try and get a pass-code, but it's a very drawn out process. It will take several days at least."

"And they're likely to be on the look out for us," Naruto added with a sigh. "Okay, so the front gate is out and you know of no other way to sneak into Junon." The young ninja thought for a moment, rubbing his jaw, before deciding on what they would do. "I suppose we'll just have to ask around. If worst comes to worst I can always use my transformation ability to sneak in through the front and find a backdoor, so to speak, but that could take days that I would rather not spend searching for something that may not exist."

Junon was a big place. One of the largest cities after Midgar. Who knew how long it would take to find an entrance for the others, if one even existed.

"So it's looks like we're stuck here," Barret did not sound too happy about that.

"Looks like it," Tifa agreed.

Just then, a scream tore through the town.

"PRISCILLA!"

The head of everyone there snapped up.

"Sounds like trouble." Naruto stood to his feet. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p><strong>LoGN<strong>

* * *

><p>The scene that Naruto and the others arrived at was not a pleasant one.<p>

"Priscilla! PRISCILLA!"

"Don't go out there! You'll only lose your life too!"

"I don't care! I have to save my daughter! Priscilla!"

Several people were standing beside the ocean front, directly in front of the massive skyscraper of metal and power lines that was buried in the water several dozen feet out. One of the people, a man who looked to be a few years passed his prime was crying out and trying to make his way into the water. Meanwhile, several other people were holding him back.

The reason they were holding him back probably had something to do with the giant serpentine monster swimming about in the water. It was difficult to discern what this monster looked like, or how large it was, mainly because the only time a glimpse of it was ever shown was when it long, sinewy, body breached the water's surface.

The green, filthy looking water bulged like an overripe fruit that had been filled with air. Seconds later it burst into a million water particles as the monster burst up from the surface.

Naruto, whose eyesight was better then most, could only widen his eyes in surprise as the monstrous sea serpent soared out of the water. The thing was truly massive, bigger even then that monster Hojo had created and made them fight. It had row upon row of razor sharp teeth that looked like they could easily rend and tear through flesh, and a strange, feathery looking mane running around it's neck. What got Naruto the most were the large feeler-like tentacles on either side of it's body and the spikes that ran along the back of it's tail. This things main weapons, perhaps?

Of course, after assessing the situation, Naruto quickly determined why the man was trying so desperately to get into the water. A little girl, who Naruto recognized as Priscilla, the girl he met last night, was unconscious and floating in the water. Or she was, until the tidal wave created by the monster breaching the surface forced her under.

Situation assessed, Naruto began snapping out orders like the commander of a standing army.

"Aerith! Barret! Long-range support! Try and draw it to the surface! Cloud! Tifa! I want you two to get everyone out of here! Things are about to get hairy!"

"What about me?" asked Yuffie.

"You're going to watch as I show you what I plan on teaching you!"

"Aye! Aye! Sir!"

Now that everyone knew what to do, Naruto didn't waste a single second and began sprinting towards the water. He quickly put his neutral materia into his arm. When his feet hit the water, he began running across it and swiftly headed to the last place he had seen Priscilla on the surface.

As he moved across the water, a giant shadow followed him.

"Get ready you two!"

"Right!"

"Locked and loaded!"

Responding to his words, Aerith and Barret prepared their respective weapons. The gun-arm on the large, dark-skinned man began to whir as it warmed up. At the same time, Aerith readied herself to use along-range ice spells. She normally would have used lightning because of how well it conducted electricity, but with Naruto and Priscilla in the water that was out of the question.

"Everyone, clear out! This place is about to become a danger zone!" Tifa shouted to the crowd of onlookers who were gawking at seeing the young Sage running across the water's surface as surely as if he were running on land. They snapped out of their stupors when the busty young woman growled and cracked her knuckles menacingly. After that, they were all too happy to oblige her.

Only Priscilla's dad refused to leave.

"I can't leave! Not while my daughter's in danger!"

"Right now, you're presence is only hindering her rescue," Cloud informed the man calmly. "Naruto will do everything in his power to rescue your daughter, but you have to leave or your liable to get killed during this battle." When the older man still wouldn't budge, Cloud narrowed his eyes. "You don't want Priscilla to be left without a father, do you?"

For a second, it looked like Priscilla's dad would still refuse to leave. Several seconds passed, in which time Cloud continued to stare the man down, before the older male sighed. "Alright. I'll leave this in your hands, but if something happens to my daughter..."

"I understand. Now please hurry and get out of here."

The man soon left, and Cloud and Tifa turned just in time to see Naruto leap high into the air as the water underneath his feet burst in a mass of water and a giant body. The moment they could see the creature they were supposed to hit, Aerith and Barret opened up on it.

"Suck on this bitch!"

Thousands of bullets struck against the giant monster. Some did nothing, merely creating sparks as they bounced off the beast's incredibly hard scales, but others struck true, slipping in between the tough scales and puncturing the soft flesh underneath. When the metal shells penetrated flesh, spurts of blood squirted out of the holes caused by the damage and the creature screech in anger.

"Blizzard!"

Ten sharp, long and pointed spears made of ice coalesced into existence in front of Aerith. The moisture gathered and flowed into a stream it came together. Each spears was about two feet long and looked like jagged spikes rather than spears. Responding solely to Aerith's will, the spears launched out at the giant beast before it could complete it's fall back into the ocean.

Four of the spears missed, but six struck true. Those that hit the serpent penetrated deeply into it's flesh, causing massive quantities of blood to gush out, especially when the ice dispersed back into water, revealing the large, gaping wounds that Aerith's spell had caused.

While all this was going on, Naruto was beginning his descent, his body flipping until he was pointed face down in correlation to the water. His hands in front of his head in a diving position, the blond-haired, blue-eyed shinobi slipped into the water with very little breakage.

He quickly descended, his eyes wide open as he used his water materia ― which he had switched with his neutral materia with at the last second ― to keep the disgusting water from getting into his eyes. He went deeper and deeper beneath the water's surface, looking, searching for any sign of Priscilla. It took him a few seconds, but he was eventually able tp find her, lying at the bottom of the ocean amongst some jagged looking coral.

Increasing the speed of his descent, Naruto dove down further and further until he hit the ground. Dirt kicked up around him, but he ignored that as he lifted the young girl into his arms.

Not wasting even a second longer, he launched himself upwards. His feet kicked as he made to breach the surface as fast as he could. Harder and harder they worked, his leg muscles straining as he pushed them as much as he could, trying to crank every last bit of energy and power out of them.

The monster, which had descended again, was following him, gaining, it's tail and streamlined body granting it speed that he simply could not match.

Swearing to himself, the young man began manipulating the water directly, focusing on having it push him up rather than keep his eyes clear. In return, he closed his eyes so he would not be blind during the fight to come; the last thing he needed was being forced to fight without his vision because he had gunk in his eyes. Because of this, he did not see when he breached the water's surface, but he certainly felt it.

He also heard when the monster came up as well. The sound of water shooting upwards like a geyser and the roar of the creature's terrible screech were easily recognizable for what they were.

Eyes finally open, Naruto looked down to see the beast, it's gaping maw open wide as it tried to consume him and the girl in his arms.

Not on his watch.

Having no desire to turn into fish food, Naruto began kneading chakra into his stomach. Because he was using the water materia, the chakra was quickly converted into water chakra, which he quickly released upon the massive creature below him.

"Suiton: Suidanha (Water Release: Water Severing Wave)!"

What came out of Naruto's mouth was not a massive geyser of water, but instead a highly focused and compressed beam. Despite only be around three inches in circumference, the beam contained within it several million gallons of water. So compressed was the water that the liquid looked almost like a solid as it blitzed the serpent at speed.

The beam of water struck the creature with incredible force. It hit the left eye, sheering straight through it like a hot Zanbato through warm butter. The scales, muscle and bone might as well not even been there for all the good it did.

Blood sprayed out of the newly created wound, a thin but long hole that ran straight through it's eye and exited it's back. The hole created was small, but easily discernible from even this distance even though it was difficult to see with the carnelian liquid like gushed out of it in a never ending stream.

The serpent gave an agonized screech as it writhed about in pain. Now that it was no longer looking at him and the girl like they were it's next meal, Naruto used this opportunity to get back to shore. His feet touched down on the creatures back, but only for the split second it took him to swap back to his neutral materia and channel a massive amount of chakra to his feet, which was soon released and launched him like a jet towards the beach.

He landed on the ground with a loud crash, then burst out of the dust that had been kicked up in mass quantities and began running further inland.

"Hold that thing off!" He ordered as he set the girl down on her back several meters from the shore. He heard the shouted replies of affirmation, but didn't pay much attention to them as he pressed two fingers against the girls neck.

No pulse.

"Dammit!" Naruto swore as he began to use CPR, placing his hands on her solar plexus and pushing down for one, two, three times, followed by opening her mouth, plugging her nose and breathing oxygen into her body. Checking her pulse again and finding it still not there, he repeated the process. He would be damned if he let this girl die on his watch.

And while Naruto was busy trying to resuscitate Priscilla, Aerith and Barret were preparing to launch their next attacks.

Within the large barrel of Barret's gun-arm, a bright, yellow ball of light began to make itself known. Brighter and brighter it glowed, it's luminescent radiance chasing away the shadows from the large Shinra city overhead. The barrel began to turn red as the furnace of energy and ordnance began to heat up.

"BIG SHOT!"

Barret waited until the monster had breached the surface of the water before firing off what appeared to be a miniature sun. It was a large, glowing ball of melted ordnance, hundreds of bullets that had been melted and compressed together in the form of sphere. The superheated metal struck the creature along it's tail, plowing against the scales and exploding on contact, sending molten steel and led splashing all over the serpent's tail.

There had been enough power behind that explosion that several large chunks of the serpent's flesh was blown away. Scales and fleshy chunks of meat flew off in all directions. The scales, flesh and blood that exploded out from the wound began raining down on the water, breaking the surface with a loud splash.

And while the creature was shrieking out it's pain as it tried to descend back into the ocean, Aerith hit it with her own spell.

"BOLT!"

Like a discharge of static, crackling tendrils of lightning skittered and danced along Aerith's staff as she thrust it forward. The lightning, which went from light yellow to blue, shot off the staff at speed. Within seconds it had shaved off the distance between it and the giant serpent, striking the creature with enough force to knock it off course.

As the creature's screech resounded through the air, Naruto continued his task. One. Two. Three. Open mouth, seal nose, breath oxygen.

Five seconds.

One. Two. Three. Open mouth, seal nose, breath oxygen.

Ten seconds.

Over and over the former Shinobi of Konohagakure tried to resuscitate Priscilla. When the twenty second mark hit, he began to worry that the girl was well and truly gone. Had he failed again? Had he really been unable to save this little girl from dying? Was this the extent of his power?

A cough and a sputter, followed by the heaving of lungs as they tried to take in as much oxygen as possible was his answer. Naruto sighed in relief as the girl started breathing again, her eyes opening wide in frightened panic before the shock of almost dying overcame her and they fluttered closed again.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu."

Naruto lifted the little girl into his arms and handed her off to his newly made clone.

"You know what to do."

"Just leave it to me."

The clone was off like a shot, leaving Naruto to deal with the menace that Aerith and Barret were still fighting against.

"Eat led bitch!"

"Thunder!"

Switching out his neutral materia for fire, Naruto walked over to his friends, his chakra surging like a typhoon as he fired off several enormous fireballs into the atmosphere. The giant spheres of fiery chakra soared high into sky, disappearing as they dispersed among the atmosphere.

"Keep it occupied!" Naruto ordered the only two long-range fighters of their group. "I need time to prepare my technique to finish it!"

"How much time!?" Barret demanded to know, grunting as he fired several hundred rounds into the dark mass underneath the water.

"Until my jutsu is ready!"

"And when will it be ready!?"

"Trust me! You'll know!"

Barret grumbled a bit about cryptic ass blonds, but didn't comment further as he lobbed a grenade into the water. The explosion caused a massive spray of liquid to burst in the air and scatter like so many particles. It also had the effect of making the giant serpent rear it's ugly head, which was then struck with a bolt of lightning from Aerith's staff.

And as the two made a job of keeping the beast busy, the air around them began to swirl. Streams of white appeared within the sky, moving and spinning more rapidly as the mass of a billions of frozen crystals of water accumulated above them, forming a giant cumulus nimbus cloud.

Lightning soon began striking the ground in a series of loud, rumbling roars that thundered out around them. Large chunks of dirt and rock was gouged out of the ground, the land began to crack and splinter as the lightning hit it like the fists of a pantheon of angry gods. Soon the lightning congregated in the sky, a massive series of flashes and arcing tendrils of power that cast a blue glow upon the earth.

"It's ready!" Naruto shouted above the rumbling of thunder. "Get your asses out of there now!"

"Ya don't gotta tell me twice!" Barret yelled back as he and Aerith turned tail and ran. Both of them knew not to be around whenever Naruto had some kind of attack at the ready. And since this one was causing the weather to act out of whack, they understood that whatever he planned on launching at the serpent was not something they wanted to be anywhere near when it struck.

Naruto quickly made his way to the highest point he could find, the massive tower of steel girders and power cables. He jumped, swung and yanked himself up, steadily ascending the towering structure until he was only a few meters below the cloud itself. When he was situated, his hand became encased in lightning.

"Never thought I'd see the day I took a page out of the teme's book," Naruto murmured to himself as he absently tossed a grenade into the waters below. "How shameful."

As the grenade exploded, the serpent burst out of the water, roaring it's outrage to the world.

"Your bark's a lot worse than your bite."

Naruto raised his hand into the air, launching a small bolt of lightning release chakra into the atmosphere. It struck the cumulus nimbus cloud where the lightning was at its strongest.

Seconds later the lightning began to gather. It became a mass of white rather than a series of tendrils so much lightning had accumulated in a single place. This lightning soon began to take shape, it's form shifting from a mass-less blob to an enormous creature the likes of which no one in this world had ever seen. This monstrosity possessed the head of a dragon with a single backwards curving horn on it's crown. Despite having the head of a dragon, it's body was equine-like, looking more like that of a deer than anything else. As the creature's entire body became visible, everyone was able to spot the large, ox tail coming out of the chimerical creature's hind end.

"Kirin."

Using his lightning covered hand, Naruto directed the giant dragon composed entirely of lightning towards his still airborne foe. The creature let loose a roar that sounded of a million spears of lightning striking the ground.

Then it surged forward, and the world was engulfed in a bright, white light.

* * *

><p><strong>I hope this long chapter makes up for how long I've been gone. Anyways, let me know what you guys think. Good? Bad? How's the grammar. I went over this chapter a few times, so I'm hoping it's better than usual at least.<strong>

**And don't forget to check out my blog. I know I've been saying this a lot, but a lot of people are asking me the same questions over and over again. You'll never get your answer unless you check out my blog, which is where I answer questions asked in reviews.**


	26. Battle at the Beach!

**BIG NEWS! I've got what is quite possibly the biggest news since humans learned the earth was not flat!**

**Okay, so it's not that big, but I do have pretty important news for you guys.**

**By now I'm sure you know that I've been working on publishing a novel. Well, guess what? That novel is now officially published! That's right, the novel is now available in both paperback and Kindle eBook on Amazon. This is the first step into a new journey for me, one that I hope all of you will join me on. I know this is asking a lot, but I was hoping all of you would support me by ordering a copy (or if you're too young to have a credit card, getting your parents to order a copy), either eBook or paperback, and reading it. There is a link to my books Amazon page on my profile. If you don't want to use the link just type in American Kitsune or A Fox's Love on Amazon's main webpage and it should take you right to it.**

****If you need any incentive to order yourself a copy, then tomorrow is my birthday, I'll be turning 25 if any of you are curious**, and no gift could be greater than knowing that the people who have read my fanfictions are now reading my first original novel.**

**Thank you all for supporting me!**

**P.S. I know some of you may be worried that I'll stop writing fanfiction now that I'm a published author. You can stop worrying. There are only a few reasons I would ever stop writing fanfiction and publishing a book or even multiple books isn't one of them.**

**The Legend of Gaia's Sennin**

**Phase 2: The Search for Sephiroth**

**Arc 6: Across the Ocean**

**Chapter 26: Battle at the Beach**

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><p>Aerith had clenched her eyes shut the moment she saw the monstrosity her boyfriend conjured up smash into the giant sea serpent. Even with them completely closed, the sheer brightness of the attack was still visible behind her eyelids. It was like someone was shining a bright, white light from the headlights of a truck directly into her eyes.<p>

The winds howled all around her, like a thousand angry souls crying out in rage and torment. Her hair and clothes whipped about her as she lay there, hunkered down on the beach, trying her best to keep from being blown away by the raging winds.

She could feel sand, mud and water striking at her body in equal amounts. Aerith did her best to cover her face with her arms, which felt like the skin was being ripped off from all the sand and mud lashing at her.

The amount of time she spent like that, lying there, her arms over her head as she tried to keep from getting tossed about like a tiny vessel in the middle of a raging maelstrom at sea felt indefinite. Time meant next to nothing in such a predicament. All that mattered was keeping her head down until the power unleashed from the attack died down.

Soon the howl of the winds grew softer and softer. The amount of sand and mud striking at her became nonexistent. Even still, Aerith kept her head down for a few more seconds, just to make sure it really was over.

When she finally did raise her head, the flower girl from the slums of Midgar was gifted with a sight she knew would never leave her mind for the rest of her life. The entire area looked like a war zone, like some sort of natural disaster at struck with a vengeance and then left without warning. The giant tower of steel girders and powerlines had been decimated. It was now nothing more than a twisted lump of metal. Several parts of the once towering structure actually looked like they had melted off at some point.

And lying in front of her on the coast of the sea was the sea serpent, or at least, what was left of it. Giant skeletal remains were all that remained of the once powerful beast. The bleach white bones were still smoking.

As Aerith gaped at what was left of the monster they had been facing, she saw several garlands of electricity arc between the bones, as if they were still feeling the effects of the attack that had unleashed unholy hell upon it.

"What...the fuck...?"

Barrett was not doing much better than Aerith. Actually, he was having an even harder time comprehending what had just happened. He had seen some freaky shit in his time, and he even knew that Naruto was a powerful bastard. But that attack, that power, it was just inhuman! How could any human being possibly possess that much power and not explode!

As the dark-skinned man and the pretty young woman stared at the destruction one of their own wrought in astonishment, Cloud finally made to stand up. When the attack had unleashed its devastation upon the earth, he had instinctively moved to cover Tifa so she would not get injured, knocking her down and laying on top of her. He helped the busty female stand with him, gently gripping her arm as he pulled her to her feet. Only when they both back on their own two feet did he and the young woman get to see the aftermath of Naruto's Kirin.

"This is...this is unbelievable..." Tifa gazed at the scene before her with wide, shocked eyes. Even Cloud was unable to keep his composure at the sight of so much destruction. "Naruto...Naruto did this? Just how powerful is he?"

That was something he would like to know as well. Cloud had known the young man with hair similar to his own was powerful. The way he carried himself, that confident, warriors gait was enough that anyone with experience in such things would be able to tell Naruto was not someone you want to mess with. What's more, he had seen the young former ninja in action. He knew what Naruto was capable of, or so he thought. The complete annihilation of the sea serpent and much of the surrounding made him question if he really knew how strong Naruto was.

A part of him could not help but compare his comrades power to that of Sephiroth's. Cloud wondered what a battle between those two would be like, but quickly decided he didn't want to know.

"Shit, I can't believe that bastard has this much power," Barrett was bordering between awe, shock and skepticism. If it were not for the fact that the evidence was there for all of them to see, he was not sure he would have believed that kind of power was even possible.

"And that's the guy you keep picking fights with," Tifa added, causing Barrett's cheeks to redden even as the rest of his face paled.

"Shaddap."

"That was so awesome!" Yuffie, unlike the others, was simply in awe of her sensei's power. With him training her there was no doubt in her mind that she would become one of the strongest people on the planet! She was even more pumped to learn everything Naruto could teach her now! "Don't you think that was amazing, Red?"

Red XIII did not say anything. He was busy replaying all of the times he'd interacted with the blond. It was so hard, equating that man to the destruction here. He just did not appear the type to be capable of such destruction, the incident with the giant worm notwithstanding.

"Man," Yuffie sighed, unbothered that the red-furred creature standing beside her appeared to be ignoring her. "Naruto-sensei is so awesome..."

"Speaking of...just where is Naruto?" Cloud's question brought everyone up short. Last they had seen of the young man, he was standing on...the...tower...

"Naruto!" Aerith shouted. When no one answered her call, she cupped her hands to her mouth and yelled out her boyfriends name again. "Naruto!" Still nothing. Now getting worried, Aerith began to call out for him, her voice getting louder and more frantic with every second she received no response. "Naruto! Naruto! Naruto!"

A search soon began, the group began looking everywhere for the apparently missing blond. All of them were worried to some degree or another, but none more so than Aerith. What had happened? Was it possible that Naruto had been thrown away somewhere from that attack? Had he been hit by the backlash of his own spell? He wasn't...he couldn't be...could he have been...?

Aerith shook her head. She didn't want to think about that. She couldn't think like that. He was alive. He just had to be.

"Hey!" Yuffie shouted out, catching the attention of everyone else. When they all looked at her it was to see the young teen pointing out at the sea. "What's that?"

Following the pointed finger, the group was able to see what she was looking at. Several kilometers in the distance, floating lifelessly in the water as it lay facedown was a body. A body with spiky blond hair.

"NARUTO!"

Unimaginable terror filled Aerith's soul as she rushed into the sea, heedless of the cold or the way her clothes began to weigh her down as they became soaked in salty water. He had to be alive! He couldn't be dead! If he was dead...if he was no longer with her, Aerith did not think she would be able to live anymore. She did not think she would survive if someone else was taken from her again.

_'Please, Naruto, please be alive.'_

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LoGS<strong>**

* * *

><p>Rufus Shinra was trying to keep calm and collected as he sat in his chair at the head of the conference table.<p>

"I'm telling you, there is only one person in the entire world capable of that kind of destruction! I want to know how he got so close to us without anyone noticing!"

It was proving surprisingly difficult. Actually, no, he took that back. It was not surprising at all. These two idiots had been constantly yelling at each other ever since the start of this meeting. That would grate on anyone's nerves.

"And I am telling you, there is no way Sephiroth could be anywhere in Junon," Tseng stated. Although the man was keeping calm and composed in front of his superior, it was clear to anyone who knew him that the man was getting frustrated. "Intelligence reports place Sephiroth's location somewhere on the eastern continent."

How long had he been sitting here now, listening to these useless fools bicker over something without having the slightest bit of evidence to support their claim? Two hours? Ten hours? It didn't really matter. It felt like he had been sitting there for weeks already.

It had only been a couple of hours since that strange monster composed entirely of lightning appeared within that random thunderstorm. Junon was in a panic, the citizens were frightened out of their wits and Shinra soldiers were having enough difficulty keeping their own sanity intact, never mind keeping the civilians calm via crowd control. Rufus himself had been woken up by the event when the creature had descended upon the sea just outside of Junon and decimated one of their most important power plants.

"Then your intelligence is obviously wrong!" Heidegger insisted. Tseng just scoffed.

"My intelligence is never wrong. The Turks are very thorough when it comes to their investigations."

"The Turks!" Heidegger laughed a very bitter laugh. "They've become a laughing stock! A bunch of fools who let a single man run laps around them and make them look like a bunch of clowns!"

Finally losing his composure, Tseng growled, his face set in a snarl of anger. He and Heidegger at been at each others throats ever since Naruto Uzumaki had arrived on the scene. The Turk's failure to defeat that man, coupled with the constant string of pranks he managed to pull on them had caused the once favored group to become despised by Heidegger.

He probably would have said something, but Rufus had enough of this foolish arguing.

"Shut up, both of you!" He snapped. The two Shinra higher ups froze. For a second, it looked like they might continue to argument. After several seconds, however, they both sat back down albeit, reluctantly.

Rufus glared at the both of them, his eyes narrowed. "I do not care who is responsible for what happened. The most important thing to do right now is to thoroughly investigate the situation in order to determine the who's and whats." He looked at Heidegger. "To that end, I want you to send several squads to that small harbor town where the attack struck. Have them find out whatever they can and report back to me."

"It'll take time to do a thorough investigation," Heidegger said carefully. "Your ship will be delayed."

Rufus frowned, but said, "That's fine. Sometimes sacrifices must be made if we want to have all our plans go off without a hitch."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LoGS<strong>**

* * *

><p>The gentle glow emanating from the small stone in Aerith's curled fingers ceased as she finished using the scanning materia to scan Naruto's body. They were back in the tiny bedrooms of the small inn they had stayed at the night before. Her boyfriend was lying in the bed, on his back, his body inert. Seeing this much inactivity from a person who was usually so active was worrying.<p>

Standing around Aerith and Naruto was everyone else. Red XIII was sitting at the foot of the bed, a silent sentinel whose only movement was the slight swinging of his tail. On the other side of the bed were Cloud and Tifa; the young woman with brown hair was standing close to the other blond of their group, her hands gripping his arm for comfort. Barrett was pacing. As for Yuffie, well...

"So how is he? Is Naruto-sensei okay? He's not going to die right? He still has to teach me how to become an awesome ninja like him!"

She was being her usual obnoxious self.

"Naruto is fine," Aerith reassured the girl, "His body has simply shut down. He should wake up in a few hours."

"I don't get it," Barret grunted, "What do you mean his body shut down?"

"I mean that his body was forced into a sleep-like trance," Aerith answered. She paused then, her head tilting as she searched for the words to further explain what she was talking about. "I believe Naruto was hit by the backlash of that last attack he unleashed and the surge of lightning caused his body to shut down, sort of like when too much electricity goes through a machine and it short circuits."

Barret scratched the side of his head. "I still don' get it, but you sayin' he's gonna be fine, right?"

"Yes," Aerith looked down at Naruto again, her hand reached out to his head, fingers threading through his hair. "He should be fine after a good nights rest."

"Of course he'll be fine," Yuffie crossed her arms and nodded her head. "There's no way Naruto-sensei would be taken down by his own attack."

"That's not what you were sayin' a few seconds ago."

"What was that!?" Yuffie whirled around on Barret as she heard the man's grumbled words. "You wanna say that again?" She did not give Barret a chance to respond, instead pointing a finger at him as she said, "You don't wanna mess with Yuffie Kisaragi, Ninja Extraordinaire! I'll mess you up so bad you'll never be able to use that gun arm again!"

"You've got some nerve, talkin' like you're tough shit!" Barret growled at the much younger girl, his gun arm shaking at her. "And there's no way some punk ass little girl like you could beat me at anything!"

"You wanna bet!?"

The others ignored Barret ad Yuffie as they got into another argument. It was not the first time they had fought over something stupid like this, it definitely wouldn't be the last.

"I'm kinda surprised," Tifa's words had the effect of making Cloud and Aerith look at her.

"Surprised about what?" the young man couldn't help but ask.

"Well...that attack was surprisingly reckless, wasn't it?" Tifa asked rhetorically. The two people plus one canine listened to the busty woman curiously. "I mean, that attack was so powerful and did so much damage. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone in Junon saw it."

Those standing around the bed gained an expression of introspection. It was true, that attack had been rather huge, monstrous even. There was no way the people living in Junon had not seen it.

"He also ended up injured from his own attack," Cloud added, "It shows that he wasn't thinking clearly when he used it."

"Or he simply miscalculated how powerful the attacks backlash would be."

The four started in surprise. Slowly, they looked at the bed to see Naruto Uzumaki, his blue eyes open and staring right at them.

"Naruto!"

Aerith's surprised shout drew the attention of Barret and Yuffie, who had been butting heads, literally. The two also looked over to see that Naruto was awake.

"Sensei!" Yuffie quickly pushed her way to the front of the bed, completely ignoring Aerith's indignant squawk as she practically shoved the older girl out of the way in her rush to get to Naruto. "How are you feeling, sensei? Are you alright? Does it hurt anywhere? You're not injured, are you?"

"I'm fine," Naruto answered, blinking. Everyone could tell he was not fine, his eyes looked glazed over and lucid, like he was hyped up on drugs. They didn't say anything though. "Just a little tired. That attack took more out of me than I thought it would." A part of the reason he had used it was because it wasn't supposed to take that much chakra to power. It looked like his theory had been a little off.

"Not to mention you got hit by the backlash," Aerith added, giving the young man who had stolen her heart a look. Naruto had the decency to look sheepish.

"To be fair, I had no idea my attack would be that destructive," Naruto said, "It was much more powerful than I remember it being." He wondered if the reason for that was because he was in a different world. Perhaps the laws of nature this world embodied were just so different from the ones in his own world that it effected the power of his attack? It was a plausible theory, but not one he had any way of proving.

"Naruto, please be more careful the next time you decide to use an attack like that," Aerith gave him a look that caused the spiky-haired blond to shift uncomfortably on the bed. "You really worried me back there. I don't know what I would do if I lost you."

"I'm sorry," Naruto caved at her look and the worry his girlfriend was expressing. "I'll be more careful next time."

"Good."

Yuffie watched as the two began smiling at each other, her cheeks puffed up with air and her right eye twitching.

"Alright! That's enough of that!" She declared, making all attention focus on her. "You!" She pointed Aerith, who blinked in confusion. "Stop getting all lovey dovey with my sensei!"

"E-excuse me?"

"Ooh~! Watching you hog all Naruto-sensei's attention makes me so mad!"

As Yuffie began going off on a rant at Aerith, Red XIII looked up at Cloud and Tifa as they watched with a mixture of amusement and resignation. "Is this that emotion you humans call jealousy?"

"I think it's a little more complicated than that," Tifa said.

"I'm the only woman Naruto-sensei should ever need! You should just butt out!"

"...Much more complicated."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LoGS<strong>**

* * *

><p>Naruto did not awaken with a groan, nor was it a slow rising to consciousness. As a shinobi, and one who'd been trained by the best for several years with several thousand shadow clones being used each day to exponentially increase how much he learned, Naruto had become accustomed to waking up after being rendered unconscious. By this point in time he had practically made waking up from unconsciousness an art form.<p>

Shadow Clone training tended to do that to a person.

His eyes quickly adjusting to the low lighting, Naruto was more than capable determining his location. He was in the room he and Aerith had slept in just before having to rescue that girl from the giant sea serpent. A frown crossed his face. How had he gotten back here?

Sitting up in bed, Naruto absently ran his fingers through his spiky golden locks and went over everything that had happened during the battle. He remembered rescuing the girl, having one of his clones take her away, battling the sea serpent. He also remembered using Kirin, one of the techniques he had stolen from Sasuke via shadow clone training.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he remembered using Kirin on Sasuke during one of their many battles. The look of absolute rage on his former friends face when he had seen his own technique used against him had been priceless.

His mirth soon left him and a frown marred his face. His brow creased in thought. Naruto briefly remembered waking up some time after the battle. Everything was a bit blurry, he had spoken with Aeris about...something, then he remembered shouting, and after that, nothing.

How strange. There appeared to be a gap in his memory. Or had he passed out again?

The creaking of rusty hinges had Naruto's head snap towards the door. A small amount of light filtered in as the door opened. When it had opened a good deal more than just a crack, a figure stepped into the room.

"Aerith."

Aerith Gainsborough walked into the room, a small oil lamp in her hands. She was dressed in a pink nightgown, one Naruto remembered buying her during their many trips above the platform in the slums. She was barefoot.

Upon hearing his voice, the girl halted midstep. Her wide eyes looked at Naruto in shock, as if she had not been expecting him to be conscious much less cognizant.

"Naruto..."

The word had scarcely left her lips before she rushed up to him, her feet making light thuds against the wooden floor. Barely remembering to set the oil lamp on the nightstand, Aerith practically threw herself at Naruto. Fortunately, he had been expecting this and prepared himself by spreading his arms wide. He still ended up falling back onto the bed from the force she had launched herself at him with, but at least he was on a mattress, lumpy thing that it was.

"I'm so glad you're awake," Aerith murmured into his chest. She took several deep breaths, inhaling his scent. Truth be told he didn't smell that good right now. He smelled of sweat, sea water and ozone, but that hardly mattered to Aerith right now. "I was so worried about you. First we found you lying in the ocean unconscious and then you woke up only to pass out again. I thought you had over strained yourself or had some kind of injury I couldn't find. I kept searching and searching but there didn't seem to be anything wrong with you, but you wouldn't wake up again after that no matter what we did."

"Oh geeze," Naruto held the young woman as she shook lightly in his arms. "Now you're making me feel like an ass for worrying you."

"You are an ass," Aerith told him. Naruto flinched, not that she could see it. "You're the biggest jerk I've ever met for worrying me like that." She lifted her head to look at him. "Do something like that again and I'll smack you with my staff really hard, while it's on fire."

Naruto felt a small trickle of sweat trail down the left side of his face and neck. "That's...kinda violent, don't you think?"

"It's no less than you deserve." The look Aerith gave Naruto had him looking away. It was the kind of teary eyed look that no guy could stand firm against. "You don't know how worried I was. How worried all of us were."

"Yeah...I'm really sorry about that," Naruto peered at her from the corner of his eyes, then moved to look at the ceiling. "I didn't think that attack would be that powerful."

"You mentioned that before." asked Aerith, her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"

"Did I?" Naruto frowned. He didn't remember that. Had that been what he talked about during that brief moment where he woke up? He supposed it didn't matter. "What I mean is that attack was never that powerful in my old home."

Deciding to get comfortable, Naruto scooted backwards until his back was resting against the head of bed. Aerith curled up on top of him, her body laying horizontally across his lap.

"Kirin is a powerful, one-shot, lightning technique. It draws upon the natural lightning directly from thunder clouds to supplement the power of my attack and is controlled by my chakra. It's classified as an S-rank technique and is capable of destroying a small mountain or building."

Aerith sat there, listening as Naruto explained the technique to her. While most of this would fly over the heads of other people, she understood the gist of what he was saying. He had explained the intricacies of chakra to her before.

She was rather surprised by how powerful the technique was supposed to be though. There were very few materia related spells that were powerful enough to destroy mountains. She didn't even know if there were any that could destroy even a small mountain. That Kirin was a seriously powerful attack, much like Naruto's rasenshuriken.

"Thinking on it, I think the reason Kirin was so powerful this time was because we were fighting on the water," Naruto tilted his head to the side, thinking. "Water conducts electricity and lightning is a form of electricity."

"And you didn't think of this before you used the technique?" When Aerith gave him The Look, Naruto blushed and began scratching the back of his head.

"Well...I was sorta busy fighting that creature at the time, you know?" When Aerith just continued staring at him, he looked away uncomfortably. "I mean, I didn't really have much time to think about stuff like that. I just knew I needed something strong enough to beat that monster..."

Aerith sighed as her boyfriend trailed off. Shaking her head, she said, "And you call Barrett reckless."

"Ouch." Naruto winced. "That was a low blow."

"It's no less than what you deserve. Now lay down, I'm tired and want to go to bed."

With the serious conversation more or less over, Aerith decided it was time for them to get comfortable. She forced Naruto to lie down on his back and then laid down on top of him. Warmth engulfed her as Naruto's arms wrapped around her body. With one last sigh, Aerith allowed her body to relax completely as she fell asleep. The last thing her senses picked up was the gentle beating of her boyfriend's heart.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LoGS<strong>**

* * *

><p>"AERITH!"<p>

The young couple were woken up by a loud, shrill scream. Both winced at the sound, even as they opened their eyes to see who was making that much racket so early in the morning.

It was Yuffie, which was not really all that surprising. The girl could be plenty loud when she wanted to be. She sort of reminded Naruto of himself when he was younger. A female version of himself.

Which was extremely creepy when he thought about it. There was no way this world, any world, was prepared to handle two of him.

The girl in question was standing at the foot of the bed, her hands planted on her hips, cheeks puffed up comically and eyes narrowed in anger. It was an expression that didn't do much, mainly because neither Naruto nor Aerith were frightened by the ninja in training, but also because it looked, well, funny. Yuffie looked almost like a chipmunk that had its acorn stolen.

"Too loud," Naruto groaned as he closed his eyes again and tried to go back to sleep. Aerith followed suit, burrowing her face into his pectorals. "Keep it down, would you?"

"Ah!" Yuffie gasped. "Naruto-sensei!? You're awake! How are you feeling? Are you hurt anywhere? I was really worried when you passed out on us a second time."

Ugh, why was everyone asking him that? First Aerith and now Yuffie? Was every member of their group going to do this?

"I'm fine, just tired," Naruto answered, his eyes still closed, which would explain why he missed the twitching of Yuffie's right eye when he tightened his arms around Aerith. "Now why don't you go back to bed and let Aerith and I rest in peace."

Yuffie did not seem to have any desire to leave the pair alone so they could get some more sleep.

"No can do."

She grabbed the edge of the sheets covering the two and tried to pull them off. Key word being tried; she was unsuccessful, but that was just because Naruto predicted she would do this and kept a tight grip on his end of the sheets. Instead of yanking the sheets off she stumbled backwards as she lost her grip on the sheet.

"Wah!"

As Yuffie fell on her backside, Naruto snuggled back into the sheets re-wrapped his arms around the warm body on top of him. Aerith seemed to be of like mind and shifted against him to get more comfortable.

Yuffie rubbed her sore backside―that had really hurt!―and glared at the two lumps lying underneath the covers.

"Get up you two!" She stood up, still glaring, and crossed her arms under her modest chest. "Everyone else is waiting for you! And you!" She pointed at Aerith, even though the young woman wasn't even looking in her direction. "Hands off my sensei!"

When neither Aerith or Naruto responded, Yuffie's cheeks puffed up in outrage. How dare this woman ignore her! How dare she sleep with her sensei! She would show that stupid, staff wielding skank who was boss!

Yuffie stomped over to the left side of the bed, the side Aerith was technically closest to, and grabbed onto the brunette by the hair.

"Owch!" Aerith shouted in pain when Yuffie tried to yank her off Naruto. "Yuffie! That hurts!"

"Good!" Yuffie shouted, yanking again. "I'm glad it hurts! It's exactly what you deserve for sleeping with my sensei!"

As the two females began to struggle, Naruto buried his head under the pillow.

"Quit pulling!"

"No! Get off my sensei!"

"Naruto! Help me!"

Naruto just groaned. Couldn't these two see he wanted some more sleep?

"Naruto!"

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LoGS<strong>**

* * *

><p>Three people walked into the small lounge where everyone else was already waiting. Two of those three looked awfully disgruntled, one more so than the other.<p>

"Look, I'm sorry," Naruto said. He didn't sound sorry at all. "But I've learned a long time ago not to get myself mixed up in a fight between two women." Indeed he had. Naruto still had the mental scars from that one time he tried to stop a fight between Anko and Ino over who was the better interrogation specialist. Memories of that time still made him shudder.

"That's hardly an excuse," Aerith huffed. She was not looking very happy at the moment. Her hair was frazzled from Yuffie yanking on it, and brown eyes were narrowed as they glared at her boyfriend. The brunette crossed her arms under her chest. "You're my boyfriend. It's your job to protect me when I' being accosted by someone else, especially if that someone is your apprentice."

While Yuffie grit her teeth at the 'boyfriend' comment, Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly.

"I suppose that's true..."

Man, this whole dating thing was a lot harder than he thought it would be. He almost preferred the no-strings attached sex he used to have back in the Elemental Nations. Of course, back then, when every day could be your last, no one had wanted to form any long-lasting, committed relationships; not when the possibility of dying was so high.

"I'm sorry." Moving swiftly, Naruto cupped Aerith's cheek with his left hand, turned her head towards him and planted a soft kiss on her lips before she could think to deny him. When he pulled back, the young woman was staring at him with a surprised blush on her face. "Forgive me?"

"W-well," Aerith's eyes tried to look away, but couldn't for some reason. There was something in Naruto's eyes that just drew her in and refused to let go. "I guess I could forgive you, just this once."

Naruto smiled as he leaned in again and gave her another kiss. Aerith soon found herself kissing him back, thoughts on why she was supposed to be mad at Naruto forgotten. She got lost in the feel of his lips on hers, reveled in the sensation of his hand behind her head, of the fingers threading through her hair, shivered at the gentle way his tongue probed her mouth.

It always pleased her to no end when she and Naruto kissed. Zack had been a good boyfriend, but he was nowhere near as affectionate as Naruto. It was, quite possibly, the single most powerful difference between the two.

And while Aerith and Naruto found themselves once again wrapped up in each others arms and lips, Yuffie was gritting her teeth angrily. If one listened closely enough, they could actually hear her teeth grinding against each other.

"Hey! Get your hands off my sensei, you hussy!" When neither Aerith nor Naruto stopped their actions, she angrily stomped her foot on the ground. "Dammit! Listen to me when I'm talking to you!"

"It's no use," Red XIII told the girl from where he sat, on the ground with a racked of ribs in front of him. He looked up at the girl, his muzzle covered in barbeque sauce. "Those two are always like that. Always. You'd have a better chance of convincing a Calm Fang not to eat you by talking to it then you would getting them to stop."

Barrett grunted. "I'm with Yuffie on this one. This ain't some damn honeymoon or some shit. They should save that shit for when we're not in constant danger."

"Well, I think it's adorable," Tifa defended the two. "I wish I had someone I was that close to." As she said this, her eyes traveled over to Cloud, who looked up from his muffin when he felt someone's eyes on him.

"What?" he asked.

Tifa looked away with a huff. "Nothing."

Cloud stared at her for a moment longer, and then sighed. He wondered what he had done to upset her this time. There was simply no pleasing that woman.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LoGS<strong>**

* * *

><p>Eventually, like, fifteen minutes later, Naruto and Aerith stopped kissing and joined the others. While Aerith looked at least mildly embarrassed after she had realized she and her boyfriend had put on quite the show for everyone else, Naruto didn't appear the least bit abashed at his actions. He was shameless like that.<p>

Sitting at the table with the others, Naruto began eating the bowl of oats that was placed in front of him. It was a very bland meal, especially when compared to what he used to eat when living with Aerith's mom. But then, that was the disadvantage to constantly being on the move and forced to stay in a dingy little inn in an even dingier little town.

Beside him, Aerith was munching on a blueberry muffin and drinking from a steaming cup of tea.

"We need to find a way to get into Junon," Cloud was saying as he sipped at his coffee. Much like everything else in this town, the coffee was awful. It was very bitter. Too bad he needed the caffeine.

"But how do we get in there?" asked Tifa, tapping a finger to her chin in thought. "I can't imagine they would just let us in. I heard that Junon actually has a check in station to get through the gates. There's no way they wouldn't recognize us."

"That's true, we're pretty infamous these days," Cloud ran a hand through his hair. "Not to mention distinctive." Seriously, how many groups had two blonds with glowing blue eyes and bright blond hair, a dark-skinned man with a gun grafted into his arm, two gorgeous females, a spunky kunoichi, and a red-furred canine that could speak English? Not many, Cloud would wager.

"We'll have to find a way to sneak in," Naruto answered. "I'm sure they'll be sending a team to investigate the strange lightning monster that showed up here last night. I'm honestly surprised they haven't already sent troops here. When they do, we'll simply borrow their uniforms and sneak in."

"That's...a really good plan actually," and one they had used before. Cloud very specifically remembered that was exactly how they snuck around Shinra's Headquarters in Midgar. It was a tried and true method of entering an enemies stronghold.

There was also that time they disguised themselves as women, but he really didn't want to think about that.

"Wait a minute," Aerith frowned, her delicate brows furrowed as she realized something. She sent Naruto an accusing glare. "You used that attack on purpose! You wanted to cause a ruckus big enough to make Shinra send a squad to investigate so we could steal their uniforms and sneak into Junon without being noticed!"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Naruto smiled pleasantly at her. "I was just dealing with a giant sea serpent that was trying to make a poor little girl its snack." He shrugged unconvincingly. "If Shinra just so happened to see it, and just so happened to send an investigation team to try and discover what was behind the strange and powerful lightning monster that appeared within that random thunderstorm last night, it would simply be a happy coincidence."

Aerith had to shake her head at her boyfriend. He didn't act like it most of the time, but he was truly one of the most devious people she had ever met. Just how far ahead did he think?

Cloud simply snorted while Tifa giggled into her hand. "A happy coincidence indeed."

* * *

><p><strong><strong>LoGS<strong>**

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><p>Delmar Le Breton was an elite member of SOLDIER, one of the few left. He was not on par with legends like Sephiroth, Angeal and Genisis, but they were also bat-shit crazy and ended up betraying Shinra for some reason, so it was okay.<p>

Of course, implying that Delmar was perfectly sane might be pushing it a little. While not someone who would betray his employer, the man was not exactly what people would call stable either.

"I want all of you to spread out and search this dump of a town for any signs of suspicious activity! Be sure to report in if you find anything!"

Wearing the standard uniform of a Shinra First-class SOLDIER with only a few minor modifications, Delmar did not strike the most imposing of figures. He wasn't very tall, just a couple inches over five feet. His hair was long and raven colored, and his eyes were just as dark. Strapped across his back was a long sword that look liked it was attached to a revolver handle.

He watched as his troops all began to spread out and cover ground. Many went up to the local populace to interrogate them. The new President Shinra didn't care if civilians, especially ones as low-class as this, were roughed up.

It wasn't until fifteen minutes after they arrived that the first series of problems occurred. One of the troops Delmar brought with him vanished. He had been checking one of the rooms at the dingy little inn, noticing that the bed had not been made and looked like it had been used recently. He was so busy looking for clues that he never noticed the figure descending from above.

The next set of problems occurred when three more troops all vanished simultaneously. They had been combing the beach, searching for clues and trying to analyze the damage that had taken place there. Well, it was more like they were gaping in shock at the ruined and twisted lump of metal that had once been a power plant. They were so busy staring at the destruction they never even noticed the three pairs of hands burst from the ground until those same hands had latched onto their ankles. By then it was too late. They were pulled under.

It wasn't until half an hour and two more soldiers vanished that Delmar realized there was a problem.

"Units one through six report!" He demanded into his comm unit. "Units one through six come in! ANSWER ME DAMMIT!" When all he got back was static, he cursed and switched to an open comm channel. "Contact with units one through six have been lost. We have potential hostiles. All squads are to report to the beach, I repeat all squads are to report the the beach!"

After saying this, Delmar made his way to the beach as well. The largest group that had disappeared had been at the beach, and he had seen the destruction visited upon the power plant even before he entered this dump of a town. If there were any hostile enemies to be found, that's where they would be.

The rest of his squad, all twelve of the original eighteen, arrived at the the beach and were able to get a more up close view of the devastation done to the power plant.

"Holy shit..." one of the grunt soldiers muttered in shock, awe, and what was definitely a touch of fear. "The tower...it's...it looks like it was hit by a hurricane or something."

Delmar disagreed. The way the metal was warped and twisted suggested electrical damage. Not just any kind though. Lightning. It looks like the thing was struck by a bolt of lightning so powerful it superheated the structure and caused it to melt.

Whoever had done this was powerful, extremely so. Could it really be Sephiroth?

"AHHH!"

Delmar's head snapped towards the source of the shout that broke the shocked state of his soldiers. He watched, dumbfounded as one of his men was swiftly and brutally pulled under the shifting sands by a pair of hands. His eyes widened.

"They're underground!?"

This was definitely not Sephiroth. Not only was he not the type to use such trickery and misdirection, he wasn't that subtle, from what Delmar had heard. But then, if it wasn't Sephiroth, who was it?

Even as his thoughts raged, several people appeared on the scene, swiftly running across the beach and towards them. One of them, the one in the front was a man with spiky blond hair and a large buster blade in his left hand, which he held like it weighed less than a feather. His eyes had the greenish blue glow of a member of SOLDIER.

"Shit!" Delmar swore. "Fire at them, you fools!" He barked out his order, even as he drew his own sword and prepared himself for the coming confrontation. There were only six people attacking him; the one with SOLDIER eyes, three women, a dark-skinned man with a gun-arm, and a red furred canine. He had them outnumbered two to one.

"AHHH!"

Never mind. He had forgotten about the guy hiding in the sands. How was he doing that anyway? He shouldn't even be able breath down there!

By this point in time, Cloud had reached the first grunt in his way. He had been using his sword to block the hail of rifle fire coming at him, swinging it around like it was weightless. As he reached the first soldier in his sights, his giant sword flashed out, the metal glinting in the polluted light.

Two seconds later, he was running past the soldier without breaking his stride in the slightest. Behind him, blood began spurting out of the grunt's torso in copious quantities. It ran down his body and stained the sands beneath his feet. The man couldn't even scream because blood began welling up in his lungs. At most, he was able to gurgle helplessly as he held his side, before falling face first to the ground. His body twitched once, twice, then was still.

As he broke through the line of troops, Barret opened a barrage of gunfire on the others, keeping them distracted. In that time, Tifa, Red XIII, and Yuffie made it to the others and began a melee battle that kept them from being able to even think of attacking Cloud from behind.

Being the best mage of the group, Aerith hung back and channeled fire through her staff via the materia embedded into it. Without preamble, she launched two fireballs at the soldiers that weren't currently in combat with her friends. The grunts were so distracted by Barret's barrage of bullets they were unable to escape in time to dodge the fireballs. The large spheres of flame crashed into them, exploding on contact and sending their charred corpses flying.

Meanwhile, Cloud had reached Delmar, who had readied himself for the blond man's charge. The two met with a clash of swords, steel on steel, which rang out loudly even with all the explosions and noise happening around them.

Cloud came in with a swift overhand swing, the large blade whistling as it cut through the air. It was not blocked, but dodged as Delmar stepped back. Unable to halt its forward momentum, Cloud let his sword fall the rest of the way. It struck the earth, kicking up a spray of sand and creating a large cut upon the ground.

Believing this was his moment to launch a counterattack, Delmar came in swinging. His blade struck out at Cloud. A loud "bang!" rang out as Delmar fired the trigger to his gunblade. The First-class member of SOLDIER blinked in surprise, however, when he saw that his blade had been blocked. How had his opponent managed to get such a massive sword up in time to stop his swing?

With their swords locked, a struggle soon commenced as Cloud and Delmar tried to overpower each other.

"You..." Delmar growled as he stared into the glowing blue eyes of his enemy. "You are a member of SOLDIER. Why are you fighting me!? Are you a traitor as well!?"

"I'm not a member of SOLDIER," Cloud said, his gaze impassive as he pushed against Delmar. It was clear in that moment that his strength was superior to the other man's. "I haven't been a part of Shinra for a long time."

"You damn traitor!" Delmar roared as he pushed against Cloud's blade with all his strength. When the spiky-haired swordsman actually began to get pushed back by the other man's rage enhanced strength, he disengaged, jumping backwards. Delmar, having put all his strength into overpowering his adversary, stumbled.

With a grunt and a swing of his sword, Cloud unleashed a powerful slash. The air in front of his was displaced as a crescent wave of energy was launched from his sword and split the air molecules. It gouged a deep trench along the ground as it flew forward at great speed, heading towards the off-balance Delmar.

Still off-balance from the unexpected move of his opponent, Delmar's eyes widened in shock. Without being able to get proper traction to swing his sword, all he could do was move the long blade in front of him in the hopes of blocking the attack.

"HAAAA!"

The crescent blade of energy struck his sword. Delmar grit his teeth as the powerful attack crashed into him, but managed to use his strength to keep the attack from hitting him and redirected it to his left. The wave flew past him, kicking up dirt and sand as it flew into the sea. The blade only stopped when it struck the mangled remains of the tower, gouging a deep slash mark on the structure.

"Ha...Ha..."

Panting from all the energy he had spent on redirecting the attack, Delmar was unprepared for Cloud's charge. Within mere seconds, the blond-haired former member of SOLDIER was on him. His blade flashed out quicker than lightning. Each attack struck with the intention to kill, and each swing had enough power behind it that the air was literally displaced and created a shockwave that resounded across the beach.

Delmar's already wide eyes widened even more. This man...he was so strong! How could he be so strong!? His arms rattled with each blocked swing of Cloud's sword. And each time he blocked, he was forced backwards due to the force of his enemies swings, his feet stumbling as they tried to keep his balance. As the battle raged on, Delmar found himself unable to deny it; this man, this traitor, was stronger than him.

This was not good. This was really not good. He was losing ground. He was being pushed back. Most of his forces were already gone. The three women and dog had mopped up most of them, and there was another variable now, another blond man with similar eyes to Cloud, glowing, vibrant blue. Another SOLDIER traitor? Whoever he was, his body moved with a deadly grace that none of his men could match; they were all cut down with ease as the man's O-katana flashed out like lightning.

Soon, Delmar was all alone, his troops gone and Cloud still relentlessly attacking him.

Gritting his teeth, the SOLDIER member began back pedaling quickly. He needed to get some distance if he wanted to use the attack he had in mind. This battle was lost, but if he was going down then he was going to take all these people with him.

Cloud was still on Delmar like white on rice, his sword swung out, but the loyal member of SOLDIER was able to stay one step ahead of his blond-haired enemy. His left hand let go of the sword and reached into his pocket. He pulled out a small orb; it was a bright silvery orb that almost appeared to be covered in frost. As his fist clenched around it, the orb began to glow.

"I call upon she who is eternal and wreathed in ice and darkness," Delmar spoke in an almost solemn tone. Cloud's eyes widened. He renewed his effort to kill the man before he could finish, his swings coming in with greater force and ferocity. But it was all for naught as the man finished his incantation. "Freeze my enemies with your power and harken a new era of darkness! SHIVA!"

In that instant, Cloud's sword flashed out, catching Delmar across the chest and leaving a deep wound. Blood poured freely from the slash mark, running down his shirt and pants. It was a fatal wound. Delmar could feel his strength ebbing, but it didn't matter. It didn't matter that he was going to die, because he was taking all these people with him.

"Too late..."

His body fell to the sandy ground with a thud. The materia slipped from his nerveless fingers. Rather than going back to its normally dull color like it usually would have when no longer in contact with the person using it, the orb began to glow even brighter. Everyone was soon forced to shield their eyes as the materia began glowing so brightly it actually burned their retina.

When the light died down, they were all able to see what the spell had finally done.

Naruto whistled while the others gaped. Standing before them, hovering over the materia was a woman whose cold beauty was undeniable. She was wreathed in dark blue clothes that clung to her figure and revealed so much skin that only her feminine parts were not showing. Her skin was a light, ice blue, as were her eyes, and her long, braided hair was several shades darker than that. The woman took in a deep breath, then blew it out, creating a thick mist in front of her face.

And then she smiled. It was a cold, but undeniably eye pleasing smile.

"Oh my, it appears I've been summoned," her voice, much like her visage, was cold, like wind whistling over a frozen tundra. She looked around at the others before her eyes caught sight of her summoner. She hummed contemplatively, then looked over at the group standing before her. "Which one of you..." she trailed off, blinking. Her brows furrowed for a second. Cloud and the others all wondered why she had stopped speaking, even as they prepared to fight her.

Not even a second later the woman's eyes locked with Naruto. With a smile, she pointed at him. "You."

The blond male blinked. "Uh...yes?"

"How would you like to be my new summoner?"

Cloud, Barret, Tifa and Yuffie else fell there flat on their faces. Red XIII would have, but he was fortunate enough to have four paws that were more than able to keep him in balance, even when surprised. Naruto just stared.

"You want me to be your summoner?"

"Yes."

"Um...not that I'm not flattered, but why? And what's a summoner?"

More face-faulting ensued. Shiva raised an eyebrow.

"You don't know what a summoner is?" When Naruto shook his head, she sighed. "I suppose I should not be surprised." Stroking her chin in a manner that was somehow both elegant and incredibly sensual, she began to explain the act of summoning to the young man. "A summoner is someone who is capable of using my materia to summon me."

A very simple explanation indeed.

"Can only certain people summon you?"

"No, anyone can 'summon' me, but I will only work with someone who I deem worthy of being my summoner." Shiva shrugged. "No summon deity like myself would ever follow the orders of someone who does not meet their expectations."

"And I meet these expectations?"

"I'm not sure," Shiva smiled at him. "However, you interest me. It is not everyday I get to meet an offworlder."

Naruto, along with Cloud, Aerith, Tifa and Red XIII all stared at the woman in surprise. Barret and Yuffie just looked confused.

"You know?"

Shiva scoffed at Tifa's question, like her words were so stupid they weren't even worthy of being considered a question. "Of course I know. I am a part of this planet, and I can tell when someone or something is not a part of it." The woman with blue skin and hair looked at Naruto, her sensual eyes narrowing as her lips curved into a wondrous smile. "I could sense it the moment we met. You do not belong to this world, yet the planet has accepted you."

"The planet has accepted him?" this question came from Red XIII, who looked a lot more intrigued upon hearing Shiva's words. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean just that," Shiva shrugged. "The planet has accepted him." As she spoke, her body shifted until it looked like she was sitting down with one leg crossed elegantly over the other. "It is strange, you are not apart of this planet, yet it swirls around you, through you, as if you share an intimate connection with it."

Slowly, she floated over until she was mere feet away from Naruto. Her smile held a bewitching quality that had Aerith's lips thinning into a white line. She did not like that smile at all.

"I am curious to know more, to see what changes you will make and learn why the planet has so readily accepted you as one of its own. That is why I am agreeing to let you be my summoner without having to go through any kind of trial."

"I see," Naruto really didn't see, he only said that for a lack of anything else to say.

He looked around at all those present. They were staring at him expectantly, waiting for him to answer Shiva's unspoken query. Really, it was as if they didn't know what he was going to say, like he actually had a choice.

One does not have a powerful summon deity offer their aid and say no.

Naruto gave the woman a cheerful grin. "I'd love to be friends with you."

Most of those present fell on their faces...again. Aerith just palmed her face and shook her head.

It was official. Her boyfriend was an idiot.

Shiva's lips curved into an amused smile. "Very well, Naruto Uzumaki, we have an accord. From this day on, you shall be my summoner. Do not be afraid to summon me regardless of the circumstances. It's been a long time since I've...conversed with such a handsome young man."

And Aerith was back to giving Shiva the evil eye. Not that the summon deity was bothered by this.

As Shiva vanished with the shattering of a thousand crystal shards, Naruto found himself wondering something: how did Shiva know his name?

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><p><strong>Before I end this chapter I would like to just say a few first.<strong>

**First, I want to thank everyone who reads my fanfictions. Very few things give me greater joy than knowing you like reading my stories.**

**Second, I would like to thank everyone who plans on going onto Amazon and ordering a copy of "A Fox's Love." There are absolutely no words in the existence of man that can describe how grateful I am for your support.**

**And finally, I would like to mention the SOPA. Apparently it's back again. If you want to sign the petition to stop Obama and the government from trying to make fanfics illegal in America, please go onto google, type SOPA petition and sign it.**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter.**


	27. Sneaking into Junon

**Chapter 27: Sneaking Into Junon**

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><p>The only entrance to Junon was the large gate that loomed over everyone's head; a monstrous construct made of several feet thick steel, composed of large plates that gleamed dully in the light, surrounded by a wall of thick concrete that looked made to withstand the most intense of sieges. To pass through, one needed to enter the only entrance guarded by several Shinra soldiers, whose job it was to make sure people entering had the correct documentation.<p>

There were six soldiers in total, a full squad. Each wore the standard blue uniform with silver shoulder pads, chest plate and helmet. All of them carried a standard machine gun, which they currently had slung over their shoulders.

These soldiers also looked incredibly bored.

"Ugh, nothing exciting ever happens on guard duty," one of them complained.

"I hear ya," another said.

"Quit complaining," their leader grumbled. "You think anyone enjoys this? They don't, however, it's something we must endure, so shut your trap and keep watch."

"Watch for what?" The one who complained shot back. "There's nothing to watch out for."

"What about that flash of light we saw over by that tiny village?" another suggested. "I heard it destroyed the power station that supplied at least a third of the power to the city. Isn't that why they stationed a full squad to guard the gates instead of the standard token force? We could be dealing with a seriously powerful enemy."

"That's what those other guys went down there for." The complainer waved his hand in the air, dismissing the other soldier's words. "I'm sure they've already dealt with the problem by now."

"I don't know… I mean, whoever did that must be pretty powerful, right? For all we know, the team sent down to defeat them may have perished."

"Tch, where's your confidence in your fellow soldiers, soldier? Now both of you shut the fuck up or I'm demoting you to toilet cleaning duty for a week!"

The two guards speaking clammed up after that.

As if called by words alone, the very group of soldiers the one complaining spoke of appeared within their line of site. They looked a little worse for wear. Their armor was scuffed and dented, and their clothes had a few tears in them. The group walked up to the checkpoint and halted in front of the leader.

"You guys aren't looking too good," the leader of the checkpoint said. "Looks like someone put you through the wringer." He stared at the group, frowning just a bit. "One of your soldiers looks like he's about to pass out."

The squad commander looked over at the soldier in question. His outfit looked a little puffy in places, and he wobbled precariously, looking as if he would fall over at any second. The checkpoint leader couldn't see much because of all the clothing covering him, just the massive amounts of red hair that stuck out from underneath his helmet covered head.

"He'll be fine," the squad commander said. "He just took a nasty hit is all. We ran into the trouble makers who destroyed the power station. We suspect they were dissidents who'd made it to Junon and were looking to cause trouble. They were taken care of, but were stronger than they looked. Anyway, here's the documentation."

The checkpoint leader looked over the documents in the man's hand, nodding his head. "Everything checks out." He turned toward his squad. "Open the gates!"

A soldier standing near a large, boxy mechanical contraption, pulled on a series of levers that stuck out in sequential order. The gates opened with a searing hiss of hydraulics and the squeal of grinding metal. Gears turned and cranked, clanging and vibrating as the gate split apart.

The checkpoint leader turned back to the squad and saluted. "You're cleared for entrance into Junon."

The squad commander snapped off a salute as well.

"Thank you."

The group of six moved passed the checkpoint squadron. One of them, a large man who looked like his uniform was going to rip, glared down at them before grumbling and shuffling away. The gates soon closed behind them.

"Hey, is it just me or did some of those guys look a little weird?" asked one of the men.

"I know what you mean," another said, "that guy that kept wobbling, I thought he was drunk or something. And his legs looked all wrong, like they were bent the wrong way or something. You think he was injured during whatever fight they had and is trying to act tough?"

"I was paying more attention to the three standing behind the others," the man said, "they were really short, and I could've sworn one of them had boobs."

The checkpoint leader had noticed the same thing. At least one of them had been straining against their chest plate almost as if they had breasts. Which was impossible, of course, as women weren't allowed in the Shinra army. He probably got caught in some spell that caused inflammation of the chest or something, perhaps an electric spell like thunder.

"Alright, people! Quit babbling and get back to your stations! We've got work to do and I don't want to see any of you slacking off! President Shinra is here and if he sees us not doing our jobs properly it's going to be my head he bites off!"

**LoGS**

The squad of six entered through the gates to be greeted by a large city. Structures of brick and glass and cement stood tall, multi-story buildings at least six or seven stories high greeted them on either side and cast shadows along the pavement. Cars traveled down the blacktop road, honking and revving their engines at stop signs, and people strode along the walkways at a frenetic pace. A sense of festivity hung in the air, frantic and upbeat, the people moved about with a sense of purpose and joy. Something big was happening.

Far off in the distance by at least several miles stood the mantlepiece of the city: a large canon, Junon's pride and joy. Its gleaming steel shown in the light overhead as it towered over everyone, a giant monolith meant to signify the power of Shinra. It was to be the group's final destination. That's where the harbor was located.

But they had a few other things they needed to accomplish before traveling that path, though.

"Man, this helmet reeks," a female voice mumbled from within one of the uniforms. "Gah, don't these people know proper hygiene."

"You're talking about a bunch of males," another female voice grumbled, "of course they don't know hygiene." The figure who spoke winced as they tried adjusting their chest plate. "Why is this so tight? I can hardly breathe in this thing!"

"That's because your boobs are too big," the other said, which earned her a glare. Walking beside them, the other member of that trio sighed and shook their head, their exasperation clear.

"Alright, you two." The one in the lead spoke up, his masculine voice heard clearly by the others. "Now's not the time to get in a fight. There's a lot we're gonna have to do if we want to cross the ocean. First, let's find a place to rest and plan our next move. After that we can do some surveillance of the city to find out what's going on."

"Right."

"Yes, sensei."

The group moved into an alley where they ditched their uniforms. Naruto sealed the uniforms into a scroll ("you never know when you might need a set of Shinra uniforms," he said when everyone gave him strange looks). After getting back into their regular clothes, Naruto proceeded to make several clones and have them henge into the soldiers they defeated. While the clone soldiers headed to the Shinra military base, the group hustled to the nearest hotel where they rented out two rooms for the night.

They sat together in one of the rooms. Naruto and Aerith sat on a bed. Barret leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. Cloud stood a few feet from Tifa who sat on one of the other beds. Yufie sat on the only chair next to a small fireplace while Red XIII lay on the floor, mumbling something about his aching paws.

"A'ight, Mr. Leader, what should we do now?" Barret asked, glaring at Naruto, which didn't really mean much as angry glaring seemed to be Barret's default expression.

"First, we need to gather more information," Naruto determined, "Elana said they were heading to Junon in pursuit of Sephiroth. Does that mean Sephiroth is here in Junon right now? Did he already cross the sea? We need to know what's going on before we can make any plans. We also need to know why everyone is in such a festive mood. Something is obviously happening here, and I don't like going into a situation I have no knowledge about."

It had already happened to him one too many times in the past. He could count the number of times he'd failed on both fingers and toes and still not have enough digits to count them all. He refused to act like a naive fool when the situation was already so dangerous.

"So what are we going to do?" asked Tifa. "Split up? Wander around the city?"

"That is exactly what we're going to do," Naruto said, "we'll be going in groups of two, pretending to be tourists traveling the world. Tifa and Cloud will be going together, as will Barret and Yufie."

"Eh?!" Yufie looked put-out by this. Crossing her arms under her chest, the young ninja from Wutai pouted. "But I don't wanna go with the grisly bear."

"Oi!"

"Why can't I go with you, sensei?"

"Because Aerith and I already have a ready made backstory and no room for a little sister." Yufie's expression grew even stormier, but Naruto ignored her in favor of addressing Cloud and Tifa. "By the way, your backstory is going to be similar to ours. You two are a young couple who dreamed of traveling the world and just earned enough money to reach that dream." He tossed them a wink. "So, be sure to do couple-y things, okay?"

Cloud and Tifa stared at Naruto, one dumbfounded and the other shocked. They slowly turned to face each other… and then turned bright red and looked away.

"Aww," Aerith squealed as she saw how they acted. "You two are so cute!"

The blushes grew. Tifa's face looked like it could fry eggs while Cloud gained a sudden interest in counting the grains on the wooden floor.

"And just what the hell are we supposed to be?" asked a gruff, annoyed Barret. "Cuz I'm tellin' you right now, there ain't no way in hell I'ma be actin' all lovey-dovey and shit with this girl!"

"Oh yeah!" Yufie glared at Barret. "Right back at ya, tubby! There's no way I'd ever want to even pretend I'm dating a stupid tub of lard like you!"

"Tubby?!" Barret roared in outrage. He stood up to his full, admittedly impressive height, and glared down at Yufie who was not intimidated in the slightest. She just stood up and glared back. "I dare you to call me that again, ya pint-sized midget!"

"Pint-sized midget, am I?!" Yufie bared her teeth at Barret, snarling at the much larger figure. It really did look quite ridiculous; the tiny girl staring daggers at someone who could squash her flat within seconds. Naruto almost snorted in amusement. "That does it, you're going down fatso!"

"O-oi! The hell do ya think yer doin' midget?!"

"I'm taking you down! What's it look like I'm doing?!"

"Get off me! Get! Off! Me! NOW!"

Aerith, Cloud, Naruto, Tifa and Red XIII mutely watched as Yuffie climbed all over the much larger Barret's body in some odd attempt at wrestling with him-at least they thought she was trying to wrestle with him.

As Yuffie's arms and legs latched onto Barret's right arm making her look like a koala bear, Cloud turned to Naruto.

"Shouldn't we stop them?"

Naruto took one look at the two, then shook his head. "Naw, let's just let them sort out their differences. We have work to do."

**LoGS**

Naruto and Aerith wandered the streets of Junon, observing the festive air. They walked hand-in-hand, passing people and cars, studying their surroundings. Everywhere they looked, excited civilians were working on something. Banners were being hung up on the walls of buildings, streamers were strung across lamp posts and telephone lines and several large cannons-glitter cannons, Naruto suspected-lined the street on either side. Something big was definitely in the works.

"It doesn't look like Sephiroth has come through this way," Aerith said, eyes turning towards one of the large banners, a big red one that read "Welcome Rufus Shinra!" on it. "It's too happy, too joyous. I don't think a place that Sephiroth has passed through would be this cheerful."

"They might not even know he passed through Junon," Naruto said, also eying the decorations being struck up around the city. "Remember, Sephiroth has been like a ghost thus far. Except for when he killed President Shinra, we haven't seen hide nor hair of him. That means he's being cautious. If he did enter Junon at any point in time, he likely did so incognito."

"Of course, we're going under the assumption that he actually passed through Junon," Naruto continued, "for all we know, Sephiroth found some other way of crossing the ocean, and the Turks simply traveled to Junon because it's the easiest way for them to gain access to a ship."

"I guess that's true," Aerith said, then sighed. "I didn't think of that."

"That's not surprising." Naruto gave her a kind smile. "Most people, when presented with information never really question its accuracy, or if they do, they never ask the questions that should be asked and merely remain skeptical of it. I remember a time years ago when I was the same way; never questioning anything I'd been told, never asking the important questions. I had to learn that all information should be scrutinized and questioned the hard way."

"Because of the war in your world?"

"Yes." Naruto's smile turned sad. He looked up at the sky, cloudless, blue, cheerful, and tried not to frown. "Because of the war. Back when I was first made Hokage and general of the Allied Shinobi Forces, I made so many mistakes. I rarely ever looked at the intelligence we obtained, never checked for any holes in our information network; I'd just send our troops out recklessly, never once questioning whether our knowledge was wrong or incomplete." He looked back down to give Aerith a self-deprecating grin. "To be honest, I'm not even sure why they made me their leader. I was horrible at it."

Aerith said nothing. She knew this was just Naruto venting his own frustrations at the past. He had a lot of regrets, and while he never let those regrets keep him from moving forward, that didn't mean he didn't feel the sting whenever he thought about the past.

"However, I learned the benefits of having good, accurate intelligence eventually." He grimaced. "I just wish it had come to me sooner. Perhaps if it had, my friends would not have died."

The two stood together in silence, surrounded by a sea of people, a study in contrast against the noisy hustle and bustle of Junon Harbor.

"Come on," Aerith said, tugging on Naruto's hand. She led him to one of the many large buildings, a bar of some kind, judging by the large sign that said "Buddies Bigtime Bar" hanging above the door. "Let's head in here and see if we can learn anything about Sephiroth." She turned around to walk backwards and smiled at him. "Wasn't it you who told me that bars were one of the greatest places to gather information?"

"I did, didn't I?" Naruto chuckled. "Alright, let's see what we can dig up."

The two entered the bar. Dim lighting cast from overhead lights created murky shadows on the floor, which moved and wavered as people and objects changed positions. Several cracks running along the concrete floor showed the place's age. People sat on seats made of steel at tables that gleamed as light refracted off their surface. On the opposite side of the entrance stood the bar; a long table with stools in front, and a female bartender wearing a skimpy shirt that exposed her midriff could be seen behind it.

Naruto and Aerith walked up to the bar where they sat down. The bartender, who'd been bending over and exposing her backside to several people, stood up and turned to them. She paused upon seeing them, dark brown eyes traveling from his face to his chest, then back to his face.

She gave him a smile.

"Hello, handsome," she greeted, leaning over and exposing her cleavage to him. Aerith huffed at being ignored and glared at the blatant flirting this woman was doing to her boyfriend in front of her. "What can I get for you?"

Naruto smiled at the woman, even as he laced fingers with Aerith and presented their conjoined hands by placing it in front of the bartender on the table. "My wife and I would like to have something light. Surprise us."

The woman noticed their hands. Her face took a turn for disappointment, but she cheered up quickly and responded with a bright smile.

"Sure thing. I'll whip you something right up."

As the woman turned around and began grabbing bottles from the shelves, Aerith gave Naruto a smile, which he returned easily enough. Several seconds later they had two glasses in front of them, filled with a red beverage neither had seen before.

"It's called Bay Breeze," the bartender explained. "It's a shot of vodka with half cranberry juice and half pineapple juice mixed together on ice. It's really popular in Costa Del Sol and has been catching here recently."

"Thank you," Naruto said, grabbing his glass and taking a sip. Upon touching his tongue, the drinks sweetness caused his tastebud's to tingle. "It's good."

The woman beamed at him. Meanwhile, Aerith took a sip of her own drink. She smiled a second later and began drinking some more.

"People seem pretty excited around here," Naruto commented as the woman began wiping down the countertop. "Is something going on?"

The bartender to paused to give him an incredulous look. "You mean you don't know what's happening? Where have you been?"

"My wife and I arrived late last night," Naruto supplied while Aerith finished her drink, a light streak of pink crossing the bridge of her nose. "We've always wanted to go traveling and just recently acquired the money to do it. Our plan is to travel around the world for our second honeymoon."

"Ah, I see." The woman nodded her head. "Yeah, that makes sense." She leaned over the countertop again and fixed Naruto with a look. Meanwhile, Aerith had started drinking Naruto's beverage since he seemed to have forgotten about it. "President Rufus Shinra came in a few days ago with some other Shinra bigwigs. They're having some sort of parade to commemorate his taking over the company from his father."

"I can see why everyone would be excited then," Naruto said, "that's pretty big news."

"I know, right?" The bartender looked excited to share some juicy gossip. She leaned over even more and cupped a hand to her mouth, as if to whisper conspiratorially in his ear. "Apparently, Rufus Shinra also plans on taking a ship across the ocean. No one knows why, but rumor has it he's got some serious business to take care of on one of the other continents."

While Naruto continued asking questions, trying to dig up as much information out of the woman as he could, his mind began to whirl. He didn't know how accurate this information was, but if it was true, then it probably meant Sephiroth had indeed left this continent and Rufus Shinra was chasing after him.

Of course, he'd need to confirm this information from more sources to verify its authenticity. No way in hell was he going on information given to him by a bartender-unless every other bartender he spoke with this day also gave him the same information. Confirmation through multiple sources was the key to gaining accurate intelligence.

"Puah!" Aerith finished drinking Naruto's beverage and then held up the glass to the bartender, her face lit up in a million watt smile and the once light pink streak now a dark red. "Can I have another drink, please?"

**LoGS**

Awkward did not begin to appropriately describe how Cloud and Tifa felt. The sun had set; they had spent several hours wandering the city, asking people a variety of questions about what's been happening in Junon. All of it had been very informative. The people in this city didn't seem to understand the concept of discretion. Odd considering this was a military base. In either event, they had learned much about the going ons of the city-too bad they were too embarrassed to think about what they'd learned.

They walked through the streets hand-in-hand, looking at everything but each other, their faces stained red, especially their cheeks. Of the two, however, Cloud seemed to be having the most problems with their current intimate position.

He just didn't know what to do. How close should he stand? Was he holding her hand too tightly? Was their proximity making Tifa uncomfortable? And just what the hell was a boyfriend supposed to act like?

Having spent most of his adult life working for Shinra and his young life getting into fights, it was only natural that Cloud would not know how to adequately handle a predicament of this nature. He'd never had a girlfriend before, or even shared a first kiss.

Tifa was just confused. She should be happy-she _was _happy, but she didn't know how Cloud felt, or how she should act around him. Should she stand closer to let him know she liked him? Should she do what Aerith often did to Naruto and rest her head on his shoulder? Would he even like that? Would he even realize she was doing it because she liked him and not because they were trying to act like a couple? Questions, so many questions, and she didn't have any answers for them.

And so they walked back to the hotel in complete silence, a strange stiffness in their joints.

They arrived at the hotel just in time to see a most unusual sight.

Naruto and Aerith arrived at the hotel about the same time they did. Unlike when they'd left, the two now looked completely different. For one thing, Aerith was being bridal-carried by Naruto. For another, the girl was giggling and chatting like an overexcited schoolgirl who just saw her favorite pop idol, her cheeks flushed and her smile wide. She also occasionally took a nibble at Naruto's earlobe, which caused him to squirm in discomfort.

"Naruto," Cloud greeted, eying the girl in his arms.

"Cloud," Naruto said, trying to ignore Aerith as she bit his neck.

"What's wrong with her?" Cloud gestured to Aerith.

"She's drunk, isn't she?" Tifa said, recognizing the signs from having been a bartender for so long.

Aerith spoke before Naruto could. "I am not drunk," she declared, her cheeks stained red. "I just had a little… too much to drink."

Everyone stared at her.

"That's the same thing as being drunk," Tifa said dryly.

"Oh." Aerith blinked. Then again, for good measure. She also hiccuped several times. "I didn't know that."

"Clearly."

While Tifa rolled her eyes, Cloud leaned over to whisper to Naruto.

"How did this happen?"

Naruto sighed.

"We ended up going to several bars and I ordered drinks for us at each one because, well, we couldn't go into a bar and look natural by _not _having something to drink." He looked down at Aerith who giggled at… something-he didn't know what. He didn't _want_ to know what. He then looked back at Cloud. "Every time I started talking to the bartender or some of the other patrons, Aerith here would drink both hers and my drink and then get a refill. I tried stopping her after the first few times, but then she got smart and had her drink refilled while I was preoccupied gathering information."

Aerith giggled some more. "Naruto called me smart. He's such a nice boyfriend." She looked over at the weirded out Tifa. "Isn't he a nice boyfriend?"

"Yeah…" Tifa clearly did not want to answer Aerith. "He's, uh, great…"

"I know." Aerith giggled. "He's such a-" hiccup. "-great boyfriend. I really, really love him."

"Uh huh…"

"Hey, hey Tifa."

Tifa looked almost frightened. "W-what?"

Aerith leaned over conspiratorially-or as conspiratorially as someone who was shit-faced and being carried by their boyfriend's could. "Did you know," she started, cupping a hand to her mouth, as if it would somehow mask out her almost obnoxiously loud voice. "That Naruto and Cloud have the same hair?"

"You don't say…"

"Isn't funny?" Aerith giggled some, and then hiccuped.

"Hilarious."

"Can we please go inside now?" Naruto asked, his voice pleading. "People are starting to stare at us."

"Yeah, sure," Tifa said. Cloud went to open the door. She made to follow, but stopped when she noticed something. "By the way, Naruto?" The blond former-hokage looked at her. "You've several suspicious marks on your neck. You may want to cover them up."

Naruto twitched.

**LoGS**

"This is all your fault," Yufie grumbled as she and the much larger Barret entered the hotel they were staying at, their feet clunking along as the surface they were walking on changed from pavement to wooden tiles.

"My fault?! How the hell is this my fault? Yer the one who got our asses kicked out fer trying to steal that person's materia!"

Yuffie crossed her arms and pouted. "I would have been successful, too, if you hadn't made such a big fuss about it."

"You were trying to steal someone's materia!"

"And you were part of a criminal organization trying to overthrow the government," Yufie shot back. "I don't need someone like you telling me what is and isn't legal!"

"We ain't a criminal organization! We're freedom fighters!"

"That's not what the news was saying."

Barret and Yufie continued arguing all the way up the stairs. They argued even when they reached the door leading to the room they were to meet the others in. They even argued as they were opening the door, their loud voices blaring across the hall.

Then they entered the room.

And stared.

"Ne, ne, Naruto? Wanna have sex?"

"I'd love to," Naruto said in a dull tone, "but I make it a point not to sleep with someone who is drunk."

"Mou, I think it would be fun if we had sex right now."

"Says the woman who's drunk off her ass."

Aerith, Naruto, Cloud and Tifa were already present. Cloud sat on an armchair next to Red XIII, who looked like he hadn't moved since that morning. Tifa sat on one of the beds, her feet sticking straight out in the air as she tried to ignore what was happening around her. At one of the other beds sat Naruto and Aerith.

Aerith was sitting on Naruto's lap.

She was giggling a lot.

She was also quite clearly drunk.

Aerith pouted at Naruto before grinning again. "We could even add Cloud to the mix! That would be really fun… and hot."

The words prompted a heavy blush from Tifa, who mysteriously covered her nose with her hands.

"Please don't say such disturbing things," Naruto and Cloud said at the same time. The two looked at each other… and then looked away when Aerith's comment got to them. Both appeared more than a little green.

"The hell happened to her?" Barrret asked as he and Yufie walked further into the room. Naruto sighed.

"She had a wee bit too much to drink."

"A bit?" Tifa asked, looking at Naruto like he just said the dumbest thing in the world. She had shoved small pieces of tissue paper up her nose for some reason, so her voice sounded kind of nasally.

"Okay, more than a bit."

"Way more than a bit."

Naruto pouted at Tifa, who stuck her tongue out. Aerith giggled and began trying to nibble on Naruto's earlobe some more, though her blond boyfriend put up an admirable struggle.

Yufie's face turned red.

"Who cares about that!" She stomped up to Aerith and Naruto. "You! Get the hell off my sensei!"

Aerith looked blearily at the young woman standing before her. Slightly bloodshot eyes blinked several times. She then tilted her head.

"Who are you? Have we met somewhere before?"

Yufie fell flat on her face. She then jumped back up and shouted at Aerith. "How could you not remember me?! I'm your rival!"

"My rival?"

Aerith frowned, unfocused eyes trying to focus on Yufie's angry face. For several seconds neither of them spoke. Aerith just blinked while Yufie glared, her face getting redder as more time past. Finally…

"Nope!" Aerith said cheerfully. "Don't remember you."

The sound of Yufie falling on her face again rang throughout the room.

**LoGS**

"How can you be comfortable like that?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

"I mean, isn't it uncomfortable with her sleeping on you like that?"

Naruto looked down at the young woman on his lap. Aerith had finally fallen asleep, one arm in her lap and the other clutching his shirt. She'd tucked her head in the crook of his neck, her rhythmic breathing sending small shivers down his spine as her hot breath hit his skin. Without conscious thought, he tightened his hold around her waist. Aerith mumbled something before nuzzling her nose against his neck.

"Not really," Naruto said, directing his gaze to Tifa.

Barret snorted. "I think he's enjoying it."

"Well." Naruto looked down at the woman sleeping on his lap again. He smiled softly, then looked up at the others and gave them a guilty shrug. "You can't blame me, can you?"

Cloud snorted while trying to hide his blush. Tifa, who'd originally asked the question just appeared amused.

Yufie had shoved her fist in her mouth and was biting down. Hard.

"Easy there, pipsqueak. Don't lose yer cool and go flying off the handle or somethin'," Barret said when he saw the girl's reaction. This earned him a glare from said girl.

"So let's go over what we've learned so far," Naruto said, trying to bring their conversation on track. "Having traveled to several bars and asked around I've learned that Rufus Shinra is currently here in Junon, and that he plans on taking a vessel across the sea to another continent."

"That coincides with what we've learned as well," Cloud said, with Tifa nodding in concurrence.

"Which most likely means it's true," Naruto said. Aerith mumbled some more. "The only thing I wasn't able to learn is why he's traveling across the ocean."

"Could he be chasing after Sephiroth?" asked Tifa.

"That's one possibility, but then we have to ask ourselves: why is the president of Shinra personally chasing after Sephiroth?" Naruto said. "To the best of my knowledge, Rufus Shinra is not that powerful; a decently skilled fighter who knows how to shoot straight, but certainly not a match for someone who's held up as the strongest SOLDIER to ever exist. Why would he risk himself like that?"

"Maybe he's just an idiot like his old man."

Naruto shot Barret a disappointed look. "Try to keep biased opinions like that to yourself. Underestimating an enemy because you don't like them is the height of foolishness, and I refuse to let any of us die because someone decided to follow their own biased and misguided assumptions about the intelligence of their enemy."

Barret growled at Naruto, but the former-Hokage ignored him in favor of addressing Cloud. "Do you know anything about Rufus Shinra?"

"Not really." Cloud shook his head. "I only knew that President Shinra-the former president-had a son, but I never interacted with or even saw him during my time working in SOLDIER."

Naruto clicked his tongue. "That's disappointing. Without knowing more about Rufus as a person, I can't discern any reason might want to travel across the sea. It could be that he's chasing Sephiroth, but it could just as easily be something else, and we have no way of knowing."

"Does it matter?" asked Barret.

"Of course it matters. If there is one thing I've learned about leaders like Rufus Shinra, it's that everything they do has a reason, and that reason is often times incredibly harmful for others. For all we know, he could be following a clue on how to reach the Promised Land. Or maybe he's traveling to a weapons depot that contains a powerful weapon he could use against us and the people of this world. By not knowing his motives, we are leaving ourselves vulnerable to attack."

"Don't you think you're overthinking things?" said Tifa. Naruto shook his head.

"Maybe, but I would rather be cautious by overthinking things than reckless by charging into a situation headfirst without considering every plausible scenario."

The group discussed what they should do with the knowledge they had for a while longer. It was clear to them that they needed to follow Rufus Shinra. The question of just how they would do this remained unclear, however.

"I learned from some of the dock workers that no ships are sailing out of Junon Harbor," Barret added to the discussion.

"You mean I learned that," Yufie interrupted.

"Shut up!" Barret coughed into his hand. "Anyway, it seems the harbor is under lockdown. Only military transports with authorization can leave, and only the ship Rufus is gonna be sailin' on is scheduled to leave this week."

"So basically, what you're saying is that the only way we can stay hot on Rufus' trail is by sneaking aboard the ship he's going to be sailing on?" Naruto sighed. "I'm sure I can get my clones to commandeer some uniforms for us to wear or something." He shook his head. "I'll get in contact with my clones and get them to scrounge up some uniforms for us and get whatever intel they can. After that, we'll work on integrating ourselves into the crew that will be stationed on Rufus' ship."

After a bit more discussion, the group decided to get an early night. They would have a lot to do tomorrow and would need to wake up early if they wanted to accomplish all of it. One by one each person went to their respective rooms. Cloud, Barret and Red XIII had their own room. Tifa and Yufie also had a room to themselves.

Naruto ended up getting his own room with Aerith. The room he and his girlfriend shared was smaller than the ones used by others, with only a single bed, a dresser and a nightstand. Not that they needed much. It was doubtful they'd be returning to this hotel after tonight anyway.

As he gently set her down on the bed, Aerith groaned, eyelashes slowly fluttering as her eyes opened. She looked around for a moment, green irises wandering the room, before locking onto the image of a familiar blond.

"Naruto…" she groaned weakly.

"Oh, you're conscious again," Naruto said, "I'm surprised you woke up so soon. I wasn't expecting you to be up again until tomorrow."

"What happened?" asked Aerith. "Why does my head hurt so much?"

"That's what happens when you drink around sixteen servings of alcohol."

Aerith frowned, then blinked. "Did I really do that?"

"Yep."

"Oh."

Naruto slipped underneath the covers and lay on his back. Aerith rolled over until she was pressed against him. One leg slid over his while her left arm went across his chest. Naruto worked his arm around her until she was nestled between his arm and torso, then pulled her close.

Silence reigned. Naruto closed his eyes and relaxed into the comfort of the bed and the woman snuggling with him. Silence reigned for several minutes before it was broken.

"Naruto?"

"Hmm?"

"Are we doing the right thing?"

Naruto opened his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, what we're doing: following Rufus Shinra, traveling across the sea, everything? Are we doing the right thing?"

Naruto remained silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully, before deciding to speak. "If there is one thing I've learned from being Hokage and fighting in a war, it's that there is rarely any such thing as right and wrong. We believe that we are right, that what we're doing is right, while the side we fight against believes they're in the right. There isn't really anything right or wrong when it comes to our decisions to stand against something we perceive as evil."

Naruto paused for a moment. He didn't usually get this philosophical. Debates on morality had never been his thing. Good and evil, right and wrong, they were just words people made up to categorize the actions of others. All he cared about was protecting the people he loved.

He shook his head and continued where he left off.

"Do I think what we're doing is right? Yes, I do. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think we were doing the right thing. However, others might not see it that way and… Aerith? Aerith?"

He looked down to see Aerith's eyes closed and her mouth parted as she lay on his shoulder.

She was snoring.

Naruto sweatdropped.

"And she's asleep," he mumbled, somewhat annoyed.

Sighing, he closed his eyes and let his body relax again, his mind drifting off into a realm of dreams.

**LoGS**

The next two days were spent hectically. A lot of work had to be done. While his clones had indeed come through for them by managing to procure several uniforms that would fit their frames-sans Red XIII for obvious reasons-they learned that the only way to gain passage to the vessel Rufus Shinra would be taking was by being personally selected by Heidegger, who was charged with ship security.

Fortunately for them, Heidegger was a very lazy man and had hefted much of his workload-such as the selection of crew members to serve on the vessel-to his subordinates. This gave Naruto a small window of opportunity to slip falsified documents into their pile of crewmember candidates and then cast a very minor genjutsu to make them choose all members of his group as part of the crew.

Which explained why Naruto found himself marching down the street, Cloud at his side, as they both waved standard machine guns in the air along with several dozen other soldiers. All around them, standing along the sidewalks and waving them down were citizens of the city come to see their newly minted president off. And sitting at the front of the parade, on a float that looked like it cost more money than the entire population of Junon possessed, was none other than Rufus Shinra and the laughing Heidegger.

Naruto did his best to keep his head facing forward. Yet even then his eyes surveyed their surroundings, scanning everything he could. Banners hung from the buildings, confetti rained from the sky, and a large number of streamers stretched overhead across the street. The festive decorations was accompanied by equally festive music. Several meters to his left, a camera followed the lines of marching soldiers.

The people around them all cheered excitedly; some were waving frantically to catch Rufus' attention, others were crying for reasons Naruto didn't understand. He supposed they were just caught up in the moment.

A glance at Cloud revealed his fellow blond to be completely at ease with his surroundings. It made sense. Cloud had worked for Shinra before. He'd probably done things similar to this already.

The crowds eventually gave way and disappeared as the marching line of troops left the city proper and entered Shinra's military base. Glowing blue eyes observed the change in surroundings. Vaunted steel pipes surrounded them on all sides but one, a networking grid of gleaming steel, highly polished and glaring as sunlight reflected off their surface. To their left lay an open view of the ocean, an expansive sea of blue that stretched on until it disappeared behind the event horizon.

They were led to a large docking bay located inside the military base. There Naruto and Cloud found the vessel they would be crew members on. Large and imposing, constructed of steel, with several towering smoke stacks and numerous guns arrayed around, the ship they would be boarding looked prepared to fight a war.

If Rufus Shinra planned on chasing after Sephiroth, it probably needed to be this heavily armed.

Rufus Shinra and Heidegger had already boarded. Naruto could see them making their way up the boarding ramp. He and Cloud were directed to board with the rest of the soldiers. They went up four at a time, walking up the boarding ramp and traveling in a group to the level all soldiers would be occupying for the duration of the trip.

Naruto and Cloud were given a bunk with six other soldiers, making for a total of eight. The rooms were small, no less than maybe ten feet wide and twenty feet long. four sets of bunk beds sat on either side of the room, leaving only a small space between them to walk through. It made for a very cramped setting.

"You two can have that bunk over there." Their commanding officer pointed at the bunk to their left. It was one of the two closest to the door.

Naruto and Cloud saluted.

"Yes, sir!"

"Hmm…" The commander scrutinized them closely. "I haven't seen you two before. You're not under my command."

"We're relatively fresh, sir," Naruto answered for them both. "We were only selected for this mission because of the high marks we received on marksmanship and close-combat."

Cloud had informed Naruto that all Shinra soldiers took a test to see what they excelled at and where they should go. Soldiers that did poorly were sent to low-priority areas that Shinra didn't care about, while those who did well were given either important missions, were placed under the care of a member of SOLDIER, or guarded high-profile places and people.

"Hmm…"

The man scrutinized them some more. Naruto and Cloud both did their best not to appear nervous, though if anyone looked closely enough, they would see the trickle of sweat that ran down their brow.

"That would explain why I don't know you two," he said at last, nodding. The two blonds almost breathed a sigh of relief. "I don't know what the chain of command is thinking by sending a couple of greenhorns along with us, but that's command's problem, not mine. Do your job here, don't get in the way of your superiors and you'll be fine."

The two saluted.

"Yes, sir!"

"I just have one more question," the commander declared.

"Sir?" said Cloud.

"Are you two brothers?"

Naruto and Cloud both twitched.

* * *

><p><strong>First off, I would like to thank everyone who's been reading this long and complicated journey of two blonds, a brunette, an ancient, a teen, a burly black man, and a cat. Thank you and I hope you have a Merry Christmas... unless you don't celebrate Christmas, in which case I wish you a happy holidays.<strong>

**Second, I have an announcement to make and two favors to ask. Starting today and ending on Thursday, December 25****th****, my book, A Fox's Love, will be free to download on Amazon Kindle. This is a limited time deal that I can only afford to do this once and only for this book. I'd like to ask that all of you who enjoy reading my fanfictions and haven't gotten this book to please go onto Amazon, download it, give it a read and, if you like it, please leave a review on my book's Amazon page (or goodreads if you've got an account there), letting everyone know what you liked about it. Consequently, if you thought it was crap, I would love to personally pick your brain. Please send me a message so I might be able to figure out where I went wrong and do better next time.**

**If you don't have a Kindle, do not worry, you can download a Kindle application onto your computer and/or mobile phone for free. I myself don't have a Kindle, but I do have an android, which is where I read my Kindle ebooks.**

**For those of you who are patiently waiting for the next installment, I ask for just a little more patience. I'm having manga illustrations done to go with Book 2, so it's taking a bit more time than I initially suspected. My hope is to have it ready to launch sometime next Spring.**

**Thanks again, and I hope you all have a great holiday.**


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